The $1 Billion Club
The most recent version of The Licensing Letter’s annual “$100 Million Properties” issue (Nov. 3, 2014) lists 10 entertainment/character properties with over $1 billion in global licensed retail sales based on 2013 data (see the chart below), led by Mickey & Friends and including seven Disney-owned properties.
Properties that we expect to be adding to the list this year (based on information already disclosed by their respective licensors) include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Frozen and Avengers. Among the listed preschool properties, Disney’s Winnie the Pooh was the only brand with over $1 billion in global sales. It rang up $2.8 billion in global retail sales in 2013. The next biggest listed preschool properties were Thomas the Tank Engine (HIT, $926 million), Sesame Street (Sesame Workshop, $923 million) and Dora the Explorer (Viacom, $800 million).
Property | Owner | Retail Sales, 2013 |
---|---|---|
Mickey & Friends | Disney | $4.0 billion |
Hello Kitty | Sanrio | $3.9 billion |
Disney Princess | Disney | $2.9 billion |
Winnie the Pooh | Disney | $2.8 billion |
Cars | Disney | $2.3 billion |
Star Wars | Lucasfilm/Disney | $2.2 billion |
Angry Birds | Rovio | $1.9 billion |
Monsters University | Disney | $1.5 billion |
Spider-Man | Marvel/Disney | $1.3 billion |
Peanuts | Peanuts Worldwide—since acquired by Iconix | $1.2 billion |
The Peppa Licensing Program
Peppa Pig began airing in the U.K. in 2004. In the U.S., it bounced around Cartoon Network and Noggin before settling on Nick Jr., which currently runs the show seven days a week. It airs in 180 countries around the globe and has licensing programs in 50 countries.
As a licensed brand, Peppa is still getting established in the U.S. Entertainment One signed Jazwares as its master toy partner in 2014, when it also added VTech and Penwizard to existing licensees Fischer-Price, Scholastic and Candlewick Press. In its recent financial report, eOne said the brand launched recently with a small number of lines in Walmart, “which will grow steadily over time and is expected to mirror the growth profile achieved in the U.K.” Peppa products will launch in Target this summer, the company said. The brand is also in Toys R Us.
With an established presence in Italy, Spain and Australia as well as the U.S., eOne is focusing on rolling out Peppa Pig merchandise in new European markets, Brazil and China. The company said mass rollouts for the property are expected in France and Germany in 2016.
eOne owns half of the property’s underlying rights, but controls the worldwide marketing of the brand.
The company’s reported revenue for fiscal 2015, ended March 31, fell 5% to £785.8 million ($1.22 billion), but profit before tax doubled to £44.0 million ($68.2 million). Its film revenues dropped, but were offset by growing TV revenues, including its family and licensing business. Family and licensing revenues grew 71% to £60.8 million ($94.2 million), due largely to Peppa.