By Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com The top toy lists from Toys 'R' Us, Target, Amazon, Walmart, and Kohl's are out! Just over one-third of the top toys of the holiday season are licensed offerings. This year, we've identified which toys are licensed, their respective manufacturer, and which are exclusive to the retailer. See the complete list below. In 2016, … [Read more...] about Retailer’s Top Toys of the 2017 Holiday Season
Disney
Roundup: Digital Content, Apps & Social
By Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com After pulling its Disney and Pixar movies from Netflix when its contract ends in 2019, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirms that the company will also move its Star Wars and Marvel Cinematic Universe content from the streaming provider. Disney's own planned streaming service will launch late 2019. Marvel is rolling out preschool … [Read more...] about Roundup: Digital Content, Apps & Social
TRU’s Debt & Other Toy/Game News
By Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com In the face of a $400 million debt due in 2018, Toys 'R' Us has retained a law firm to help restructure its financial obligations. The toy retailer has not ruled out bankruptcy as part of its plan, and is also looking at obtaining additional financing. TRU is also continuing to work with financial advisory firm Lazard, which … [Read more...] about TRU’s Debt & Other Toy/Game News
The State of Licensing In Mobile
Sanrio and Bandai Namco Entertainment team up for Hello Kitty ♥ PAC-MAN, a mobile game app and a limited edition merchandise collection including t-shirts, caps, socks, tote bags, pins, and collectible figures. SEGA Networks and WWE partner for WWE Tap Mania, a worldwide mobile game app that features a roster of past and present WWE Superstars facing off in the ring in … [Read more...] about The State of Licensing In Mobile
M&A & New Media
Hasbro launches its first-ever subscription service in April with the Gaming Crate, priced at $49.99 per crate, plus shipping. Each box includes three curated games that are new to the Hasbro Gaming portfolio. The crates fall into two themes: Family, which offers games designed to be played together by kids and adults, and Party, which contains games geared towards adult game … [Read more...] about M&A & New Media
Who’s News
Sony Pictures Entertainment’s consumer products division is establishing a Shanghai-based licensing office with Sabrina Gu leading direct deals in the territory as Director Consumer Products China. Gu continues to dual-report to Joseph Liao, CMO Beijing, and Jamie Stevens, EVP Worldwide Consumer Products. Disney Chairman & CEO Robert Iger resigns from the White House … [Read more...] about Who’s News
Entertainment in Experiential & Social
Sanrio joins forces with Snapchat to bring over 30 character stickers to the app, including Hello Kitty, My Melody, Badtz-Maru, Chococat, and Keroppi. The month-long partnership coincides with Sanrio Character Ranking 2017, an annual competition where fans get the chance to vote for their favorite Sanrio character. Each sticker used will count as a vote for the chosen … [Read more...] about Entertainment in Experiential & Social
Licensing Litigation
Hollywood Reporter reports that Disney "narrowly preserved" a win against author Royce Mathew in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals over its Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The legal battle has been on-and-off for over a decade, but the current controversy centers around a release Mathew signed when he withdrew a 2005 complaint alleging that Disney had used his work. Mathew … [Read more...] about Licensing Litigation
Licensed Nominations Make Up a Quarter of Nominations for Daytime Emmys
This year's list of nominees for the 44th annual Daytime Emmy Awards are out, and 23 TV shows with current licensing programs have a strong showing—snagging one-forth of nominations overall. The winners in top categories will receive their awards on April 30 from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Here are the highlights: DreamWorks leads with 18 … [Read more...] about Licensed Nominations Make Up a Quarter of Nominations for Daytime Emmys
Who’s News
Open call Looking to hire or be hired? Contact our business development team to feature your listing on TLL. Just want to feature your new hires? Contact editorial. John Louie is Warner Bros. Consumer Products' new SVP Intl.; he is responsible for development and management of Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Canada across all categories of business. Ben Pyne, Disney’s … [Read more...] about Who’s News