By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Jazwares is working with game platform Roblox to bring its wildly popular Squishmallows line into the metaverse. But the bigger news might be the developments behind this newest of metaverse licensing deals. Jazwares president Laura Zebersky says the company has created a new division called Jazwares Game Studio to lead the charge … [Read more...] about Metaverse Licensing: Squishmallows Enter The Roblox World
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Who’s The Boss? Springsteen Sells Music Catalog For Record $500 Million
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Legendary American rocker Bruce Springsteen just cashed out with the sale of his entire music catalog for a cool half-billion dollars. The sale to Sony Music certainly establishes his reputation as "The Boss," far surpassing the $300 million deal to Bob Dylan, and the agreement that saw Canadian rocker Neil Young sell a 50% interest in his … [Read more...] about Who’s The Boss? Springsteen Sells Music Catalog For Record $500 Million
Sustainable Licensing: Music Leaders Unite To Create Climate Pact
A group of music companies, including the largest licensors in the industry, have launched what they call the Music Climate Pact. The Climate Pact includes the Big Three of the music industry—Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group—as well as world-renowned independents Beggars Group, BMG, Brownswood Recordings, Ninja Tune, Secretly Group, Warp and … [Read more...] about Sustainable Licensing: Music Leaders Unite To Create Climate Pact
Nike Sprints Into Metaverse Licensing With RTFKT Acquisition
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief The footwear behemoth Nike is expanding its footprint in the metaverse, announcing the acquisition of digital collectibles company RTFKT. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. “This acquisition is another step that accelerates Nike’s digital transformation and allows us to serve athletes and creators at the intersection of sport, … [Read more...] about Nike Sprints Into Metaverse Licensing With RTFKT Acquisition
December Film Release Schedule For North America
By Gary Symons The Licensing Letter It's been well over a year since The Licensing Letter stopped publishing regular reports on film release dates, because of the large number of cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, however, a general decline in case numbers due to vaccinations has solidified release dates, and the film release schedule will again be a … [Read more...] about December Film Release Schedule For North America
Christmas Retail: Black Friday Shoppers Down Slightly From 2020
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief The National Retail Federation says the number of Black Friday shoppers was down slightly this year, but roughly in line with the average over the past four years. The NRF says nearly 180 million Americans shopped during the five-day holiday shopping period from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, according to the annual survey released … [Read more...] about Christmas Retail: Black Friday Shoppers Down Slightly From 2020
The Metaverse Is Growing Faster Than Expected: Is Your Company Ready?
A Special Report For TLL Subscribers Only By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Just months ago, on Aug. 1, The Licensing Letter released its first Special Report on the development of the metaverse and how it will apply to the licensing industry. At the time, most people didn’t know what the metaverse was, let alone how our industry would take part in it. Since then, … [Read more...] about The Metaverse Is Growing Faster Than Expected: Is Your Company Ready?
Mattel Honored With First Licensing Sustainability Award
The Society of Product Licensors Committed to Excellence and The Licensing Letter are pleased to announce that Mattel’s toy recycling program has won the first ever Licensing Sustainability Award. The LSA is awarded quarterly to highlight programs in the licensing industry that reduce pollution, waste, and/or greenhouse gas emissions. “The judges felt Mattel deserved this … [Read more...] about Mattel Honored With First Licensing Sustainability Award
The Licensing Letter and SPLiCE To Unveil First Licensing Sustainability Award
The first ever Licensing Sustainability Award (LSA) from SPLiCE and The Licensing Letter will be revealed on Dec. 1 at the SPLiCE Licensors Summit. The Society of Product Licensors Committed to Excellence (SPLiCE) and The Licensing Letter announced the new award program in September. Under the LSA program, TLL and SPLiCE present an award quarterly to a company for its … [Read more...] about The Licensing Letter and SPLiCE To Unveil First Licensing Sustainability Award
Mergers & Acquisitions: Major Investors Acquire Stake in Authentic Brands Group
There's big news for one of the giants in the global licensing industry, as two major investment funds have purchased a significant stake in Authentic Brands Group. ABG says the deal with CVC Capital Partners (CVC) and HPS Investment Partners (HPS) will provide the company with more support as it continues its rapid growth. The two funds have signed definitive agreements to … [Read more...] about Mergers & Acquisitions: Major Investors Acquire Stake in Authentic Brands Group