By Karina Masolova 2016 promises to be bigger than ever for licensed toys and games. Category sales reached almost $7 billion in 2014, according to TLL’s Annual Licensing Business Survey, and are expected to grow this year. But amidst soaring success, girls’ toys have been seeing slumping sales, with giants such as Mattel and Hasbro reporting declines. To counter this, the … [Read more...] about The State of Girls’ Toys
Mattel
Activision Latest to Launch TV/Movie Studio
By Karina Masolova Activision Blizzard made its latest move in a series set to position the company as a multi-platform entertainment franchise power. The video game development company launched its own TV and movie studio, Activision Blizzard Studios. It joins companies like Mattel and Hasbro, whose in-house studios are set grow their overall business. On the other side of the … [Read more...] about Activision Latest to Launch TV/Movie Studio
Mattel, Hasbro see Q3 Retail Sales Split Along Gender Lines
By Karina Masolova Reported third quarter (3Q) sales from toy giants Hasbro and Mattel exhibited an interesting break along gender lines, with boys' toys outperforming girls' amidst depressed worldwide sales thanks to unfavorable exchange rates. More gender balance may be on the way, however, with the girls' market expected to get a boost from the first interactive Barbie doll … [Read more...] about Mattel, Hasbro see Q3 Retail Sales Split Along Gender Lines
Internet Changes Dynamics of Kids’ TV
By Marcy Magiera Earlier this month, as much of the television industry was preparing to travel to France for market MIPCOM and its children's programming section, MIPJunior, Netflix announced that it will add seven new original series for older kids to its streaming service beginning this December. The slate, which includes shows based on established brands including LEGO and … [Read more...] about Internet Changes Dynamics of Kids’ TV
Who’s News
Fashion Ralph Lauren appoints Stefan Larsson as CEO, establishing a line of succession for his iconic fashion company. Lauren will stay on as Executive Chairman & CCO once Larsson assumes his new role in November. Larsson was formerly Global President of Old Navy, where he led the troubled division to three years of solid growth and an added $1 billion in sales. He also … [Read more...] about Who’s News
Digital Deals
By Glenn Demby You Gotta Have Hart: Hannah Hart is the latest YouTube star to cash in on her digital celebrity by inking a multi-year deal with women's multichannel network Kin Community for brand integrations, media opportunities and new programming production. Play Puck!: MLB Advanced Media will pay the NHL $600 million over 6 years for the right to broadcast and stream … [Read more...] about Digital Deals
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
Who’s News
Cheryl Stoebenau, President of CAS Marketing, is elected to the LIMA Licensing Hall of Fame in recognition of her sustained excellence as a licensing agent and charitable work for children. Richard Dickson is promoted to president and chief brands officer of Mattel. In addition to continuing to oversee marketing of core Mattel and Fisher-Price properties, he will be … [Read more...] about Who’s News
Using Licensed Properties to Make New Licensed Properties
It's a toy! It's a movie! No, wait, it's a toy! … It's common for entertainment properties to spawn toys and for toys to spawn entertainment properties. Less common is for entertainment properties to inspire toys, which then inspire new entertainment properties, which then, in turn, inspire new toys. But it's happening. A leading example of the new paradigm is the … [Read more...] about Using Licensed Properties to Make New Licensed Properties
More Preschool Properties Originating Outside U.S.
The $10.6 billion worldwide preschool sector was one of the first within entertainment/character licensing in which properties originating outside the U.S. became part of global culture (see pie chart, below), according to The Licensing Letter’s just-published all-new 2nd edition of “The Global Market for Licensed Preschool Properties.” Because most preschoolers can’t read, … [Read more...] about More Preschool Properties Originating Outside U.S.