The Licensing Letter

Sports

M&A & Restructuring

Newell Brands continues its restructuring efforts under an expanded accelerated transformation plan, which includes the divesting of two more brands and applying all after-tax proceeds (an estimated $10 billion) from its divestitures to debt. Jostens and Pure Fishing are added to the chopping block along with non-core businesses Rubbermaid Commercial Products, Rubbermaid … [Read more...] about M&A & Restructuring

Sports: A Closer Look

Licensed retail sales of sports-based merchandise grew 4.3% in 2016 to reach $15.4 billion in the U.S./Canada—the sixth straight year of sustained growth. This year, it remains to be seen if this kind of momentum can be sustained, at least in the first quarter—in part because the impact of the two biggest sporting events, the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics, remains … [Read more...] about Sports: A Closer Look

NFL Makes a Play for Times Square

Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com The NFL Experience is now open in Times Square, New York City. The permanent exhibit joins a host of new branded offerings that are helping make Times Square relevant again—including National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey and SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical. The $30 million venture is one of the first of its kind, powered … [Read more...] about NFL Makes a Play for Times Square

NFLPA’s Top Players

By Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com Overall, sports is the second-strongest property type we track. Retail sales grew 4.3% in 2016 to reach $15.4 billion, according to TLL’s Annual Licensing Business Survey. Collegiate-based brands also enjoyed strong sales in 2016 at 2.5% growth, reaching $3.5 billion in sales. NFL sales, in particular, were up 3.7% in 2016, as … [Read more...] about NFLPA’s Top Players

Around the World—10/30/2017

Epic Rights and Pan Inc. will develop music artist and celebrity merchandising and branding opportunities in Japan together. Epic executives Lisa Streff and Dan Levin will manage the day-to-day business with Pan Inc. American eSports organization Cloud9 has raised $25 million in Series A financing from companies and parties including WWE, the Beverly Hills Sports Council, … [Read more...] about Around the World—10/30/2017

New Media: Streaming, TV & Movies

Entertainment properties distributed primarily through streaming services aren't the biggest source for consumer products licensing—linear TV programs reign, for many reasons. But licensees are getting wise to the potential behind streaming. For one, technology can offer new ways to market and sell goods à la traditional TV shopping, albiet in less obstructive ways. For … [Read more...] about New Media: Streaming, TV & Movies

Experiential & Social Activations

Hasbro and Cityneon bring interactive exhibition Transformers Autobot Alliance to China in December 2017. The launch follows years of R&D—the walk-through exhibit is the first of its kind to showcase the larger-than-life robots, as well as special effects, reflex tests, virtual reality, motion sensing, and other features surrounding the Transformers brand. It will debut in … [Read more...] about Experiential & Social Activations

Roundup: Business & Legal

The parentco of Coach, Kate Spade New York, and Stuart Weitzman will re-brand itself as Tapestry effective Oct. 31, 2017. CEO Victor Luis told WWE that the shift reimagines Coach as a "true house of emotional, desirable brands," that will "extend into new categories and markets" within "the very attractive and growing $80 billion global market for premium handbag and … [Read more...] about Roundup: Business & Legal