The Hollywood Reporter reports that top entertainment and music companies like Discovery, CBS, Fox, and NBCUniversal are facing millions in lost royalties if a planned bankruptcy auction of Delivery Agent goes through. Delivery Agent was founded in 2005; the company runs digital platforms that sell licensed merchandise and has generated more than $800 million in revenue. After … [Read more...] about Licensors Poised to Lose Millions in Royalties
20th Century Fox
44 Entertainment/Character Brands Make the $100 Million List
Karina Masolova, additional reporting by Glenn Demby and Marcy Magiera Forty-four entertainment/character properties make our list of brands that generate over $100 million in retail sales of licensed merchandise in the U.S. and Canada—accounting for a total of $41 billion in sales worldwide in 2015. See the full list here. Three brands cleared $1 billion in the U.S./Canada … [Read more...] about 44 Entertainment/Character Brands Make the $100 Million List
Content & Experiential Roundup
Mattel and Otoy join force to bring original episodic "Batman: The Animated Series" content to the View-Master VR Viewer this fall. The new content is developed in partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros.’ digital studio Blue Ribbon Content. Cartoon Network will release a new Adventure Time virtual reality mobile game and a Jake the … [Read more...] about Content & Experiential Roundup
Branded Stores
Women’s magazine Marie Claire is entering the retail business with its very own High Street store. Time Inc’s magazine is teaming up with online grocer Ocado to launch the new beauty store, which will open in London’s Tottenham Court Walk. Following the announcement of NBA Stores in the Middle East, the National Basketball Association has taps Spanish restaurant group AN Grup … [Read more...] about Branded Stores
Place-based Strategy Getting DreamWorks Where it Wants to Go
By Marcy Magiera DreamWorks Animation (DWA) must be as happy as, well, an ogre in a swamp with its strategy to exploit Shrek, Hiccup, Oh, Alex and other characters in location-based licensing. As its DreamWorks DreamPlace holiday attractions roll out in malls across the U.S. and London, the movie studio reported that its consumer product revenues more than doubled in the third … [Read more...] about Place-based Strategy Getting DreamWorks Where it Wants to Go
Who’s News
Viacom International Media Networks’ VP Intl. Brand Management Charlotte Castillo has been promoted to SVP Brand Management & Creative for Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP). Seth Marks, former SVP Merchandising & Strategic Sourcing for Overstock.com, has joined Kmart as Head Strategic Merchandising. Jarrod Weber has been promoted to EVP Fashion at … [Read more...] about Who’s News
Star Wars Demonstrates Power of Franchises for Licensing, Theaters
By Marcy Magiera As this story was being written and The Licensing Letter’s semi-annual chart of movies with licensing potential compiled, Star Wars: The Force Awakens was breaking advance ticket sales records two months ahead of its Dec. 18 opening. Online ticketing sites Fandango and MovieTickets.com reportedly crashed for some users under the heavy traffic when tickets went … [Read more...] about Star Wars Demonstrates Power of Franchises for Licensing, Theaters
Awareness High of New ‘Muppets,’ ‘Supergirl’ TV Shows
By Marcy Magiera With the fall TV season about to start, research shows that the new programs with the highest ratings and consumer intent to watch are based on properties that are already established. ABC's "The Muppets" (62% awareness), Fox's "Minority Report" (35%) CBS' "Supergirl" (34%) and NBC's "Heroes Reborn" (28%) have the top … [Read more...] about Awareness High of New ‘Muppets,’ ‘Supergirl’ TV Shows
Who’s News
Brad Globe steps down as President of Warner Bros. Consumer Products this spring with current DC Entertainment President & CCO Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Diane Nelson to oversee the division until a successor is named. Ian Rogers, the Senior Director Apple Music who created the online radio station Beats 1, moves to LVMH as Chief Digital Officer where he will … [Read more...] about Who’s News
Licensing to Theme Parks Builds Revenue & Brand Exposure
One of the editors of The Licensing Letter was recently at a party on the Universal Studios backlot when some fellow guests began, by their own admission, to "geek out" over the distant spires of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which is under construction for a planned opening next year. The attraction, based on the J.K. Rowling books and Warner Bros. movies, is expected … [Read more...] about Licensing to Theme Parks Builds Revenue & Brand Exposure