The Licensing Letter

Entertainment/Character

M&A & Promotions

CORRECTION: On Sept. 9, we reported a new “patent cross-licensing” deal between Scientific Games and Intl. Game Technology (IGT). The agreement only covers "game features" patents, and does not, as our earlier story might have suggested, cover other types of intellectual property such as brand licenses. Learfield and IMG make their union official, formally announcing a … [Read more...] about M&A & Promotions

A(nother) Note on Disney

Updated: 10/13/2017 By Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com If we were to define one trend of consumer products licensing in the last decade or so, it's Disney's unparalled dominance. TLL estimates that Disney accounts for roughly half of all entertainment/character brand-based licensed retail sales in the U.S./Canada, and a slightly larger share worldwide (less than … [Read more...] about A(nother) Note on Disney

European Licensed Sales Up 1.8%; Western Europe Shines

The European territory experienced retatively flat growth (1.8%) with $32.9 billion in licensed retail sales in 2016, according to TLL's 2017 Licensing Business Survey. But behind the average, several countries out-performed worldwide average growth of 2.7% in 2016. Visit the Licensing Data Bank for more charts and data here. And contact Jen at jen@plainlanguagemedia.com for … [Read more...] about European Licensed Sales Up 1.8%; Western Europe Shines

Roundup: Experiential Initiatives

Live arena production Fast & Furious Live is set to debut on a global tour in January 2018. Produced in partnership with Universal Brand Development, Fast Live Productions, and Live Nation, the show launches in London before racing through 23 other European cities. The two-hour show features cars, locations, and scenes from the film series through state-of-the-art 3D … [Read more...] about Roundup: Experiential Initiatives

Preschool Properties With Some Licensing Activity

The preschool market is one of the most stable we track, compared to other property types and product categories. In 2016, licensed retail sales of preschool brand-based, preschool-oriented merchandise grew 6.7% to reach almost $12.8 billion. You've seen the top 20 list—now TLL is releasing a selection previously available only to paid subscribers. See below for an accounting … [Read more...] about Preschool Properties With Some Licensing Activity

Retailer’s Top Toys of the 2017 Holiday Season

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

The Appeal Behind the Top $100+ Million Brands

The top $100 million entertainment/character brands aren't equal when it comes to consumer engagement, awareness, and appeal. According to E-Poll Market Research's E-Score character survey for adults aged 13–49, while most of the top-selling properties on our list have what we could consider "universal appeal" across all age groups, some don't. Using their data, we've compiled … [Read more...] about The Appeal Behind the Top $100+ Million Brands

M&A & Theme Parks

The VF Corp. acquires global workwear company Williamson-Dickie for approximately $820 million. Williamson-Dickie's brands—Dickies, Workrite, Kodiak, Terra, and Walls—will join VF’s Imagewear coalition, which includes Wrangler, Riggs Workwear, and Timberland Pro. The transaction is expected to be complete in Q4 of this year, and Williamson-Dickie CEO Philip Williamson will … [Read more...] about M&A & Theme Parks

Toy Roundup: Top News & Trends

Retail sales of licensed toys and games grew 7.0% to reach $8.06 billion in the U.S./Canada in 2016, according to TLL's Annual Licensing Business Survey. Here are some of the latest developments in toy trends expected to impact the holiday season. Sales of hobby games in the U.S./Canada reached $1.44 billion in 2016, according to ICv2—growing 21% thanks to growth of … [Read more...] about Toy Roundup: Top News & Trends