By Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com. Retail sales of licensed merchandise based on the top superhero properties from Marvel and DC Comics dipped 7% to reach $4.4 million in 2017, according to TLL's latest edition of the $100 Million Entertainment/Character list. From the 2017 list, Marvel's top two properties are Spider-Man ($1.4 billion in licensed retail sales) … [Read more...] about Supercharge Me! Hero-based Merch Sales Down 7%
DC Comics
Franchises Drive Comics Sales in 2017
According to ICv2 and NPD BookScan, the top-selling comic book titles of 2017 hailed from the '80s—two 30-year-old volumes were the best-selling superhero titles of the year. Marvel’s top new title was Black Panther Book 1 and DC Comics’ top new titles were the collections of the Rebirth launches of Batman and The Flash. Twelve of the top 20 best-selling superhero titles of … [Read more...] about Franchises Drive Comics Sales in 2017
$100 Million Superhero Brands Grow 15% in 2016
Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com While the average $100 million entertainment/character brand grew 8% in U.S./Canada retail sales of licensed merchandise in 2016, superhero brands grew by nearly 15% from the previous year. See the complete list here. The top four superhero brands by retail sales in the U.S./Canada made up almost 11% of the $100 million list's … [Read more...] about $100 Million Superhero Brands Grow 15% in 2016
Superheroes Revisited: Batman Overtakes Spider-Man
The age-old question is re-examined: DC or Marvel? We've restated the 2014 retail sales figures for Batman, Avengers, and Superman to reflect the relative rankings between the four superhero brands on the $100 million-plus list. This is how the top superheroes rank up in 2015 for licensed retail sales in the U.S./Canada: Batman (No. 11 on the $100 million list) Spider-Man … [Read more...] about Superheroes Revisited: Batman Overtakes Spider-Man
Halloween Spending Up; Entertainment Tops Costume Choices
By Karina Masolova Halloween spending is expected to reach an all-time high this year, according to the National Retail Foundation (NRF)'s Halloween Spending Survey; total spending is expected to reach $8.4 billion, up 21.7% from $6.9 billion in 2015. The last time sales came close was in 2012, at a previous high of $8.0 billion. Over 171 million Americans expected to celebrate … [Read more...] about Halloween Spending Up; Entertainment Tops Costume Choices
Top Entertainment/Character Properties Drive Comics Sales Above $1 Billion
Pow! Retail sales of comics and graphic novels in the U.S. and Canada grew 10% in 2015, passing $1 billion for the first time in decades, driven by top entertainment/character properties including Star Wars. The new market size analysis comes from comic book data specialist Comichron and online retail trade magazine ICv2 just before giant Comic-Con International opens next … [Read more...] about Top Entertainment/Character Properties Drive Comics Sales Above $1 Billion
As Pet Pampering Grows, Licensing Goes to the Dogs
By Marcy Magiera For evidence of Americans' preoccupation with their pets, look no further than Super Bowl Sunday, when Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl XII (in VR, no less) and Hallmark Channel's Kitten Bowl III will fill the hours leading up to the main gridiron event. Or the fact that a Petco survey during the fourth quarter showed that 82% of respondents intended to … [Read more...] about As Pet Pampering Grows, Licensing Goes to the Dogs
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
Licensed Properties Steer Touring Shows
Experiential licensing is not limited to theme parks. Touring exhibitions and other location-based attractions can provide both revenue and ongoing exposure to build or maintain relationships with fans. For example, Feld Entertainment, producer of Disney on Ice, reportedly expects to sell more than three million tickets for the full run of its Frozen version of the ice show, … [Read more...] about Licensed Properties Steer Touring Shows
DC Plugs Into Girl Power
DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Bros. Consumer Products, and Mattel are teaming for a new girls’ property, DC Super Hero Girls, which will launch this fall across multiple entertainment content platforms and product categories. Designed to appeal to girls 6 to 12, DC Super Hero Girls focuses on DC Comics’ female characters before they discovered their full … [Read more...] about DC Plugs Into Girl Power