Contact the Editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com. FAO Schwarz has returned to New York City with a brand new flagship store at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The toy store spans 2.5 levels with over 20,000 sq. ft. of FAO's signature toys, interactive experiences, and themed partner areas. In addition to holiday exclusives, the store's collaboration with specialty candy retailer … [Read more...] about Store Check: Holiday 2018 at Rockefeller Center
Traditional Toys/Games
One-Quarter of Top 2018 Holiday Toys are Licensed
Contact the Editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com. Roughly 29% of the top 2018 holiday toys are licensed, according to lists created by Walmart, Target, Amazon, and Kmart. In 2017, retail sales of licensed toys/games sank -4.4% to $7.7 billion in the U.S./Canada, according to TLL’s Annual Licensing Business Survey. This was largely due to the impact of the Toys 'R' Us … [Read more...] about One-Quarter of Top 2018 Holiday Toys are Licensed
M&A: Fashion, Toys & Other Business
Contact the Editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com. As Levi Strauss prepares to open its largest store in the world in the form of a new Times Square flagship, it is also gearing up for an IPO that would value the company at up to $5 billion. The 145 year-old jeans manufacturer had gone public once before, in 1971, and is now privately held by the descendants of the family of … [Read more...] about M&A: Fashion, Toys & Other Business
Comic-based, Original Films Lead Films With Licensing Potential
By: Karina Masolova, with additional research by Susan Adams and Michelle Odinyayeva. Contact the Editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com. TLL identified 213 upcoming films through 2025 as potential source material for licensed consumer products. Comic book-based properties lead the count, with 39% of films on the list, followed closely by original works (37%). Rounding off the … [Read more...] about Comic-based, Original Films Lead Films With Licensing Potential
37 Entertainment/Character Brands Earned Over $100 MM in the U.S./Canada
Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com This year, a total of 37 properties made TLL’s annual list of entertainment/character brands that generated over $100 million in licensed retail sales in the U.S./Canada for 2017. Last year, TLL tracked 46 brands that qualified for the list based on 2016 sales. And the year before that, 44 brands made the list based on estimated … [Read more...] about 37 Entertainment/Character Brands Earned Over $100 MM in the U.S./Canada
M&A: Publishing Has a New Face
Publisher Watch: News Shake-Ups Hearst’s King Syndicate Feature and Emerging Tech divisions launch the conglomerate’s first AI-voice enabled entertainment for Amazon Alexa. Trivia Treat is meant to offer a challenging and fun daily gameplay experience for players around the world with games and puzzles. The NYT is stepping up its content licensing game with the re-branding and … [Read more...] about M&A: Publishing Has a New Face
Mobile & More Content Licensing
Universal partners with mobile-game developer Ludia for AR mobile game app, Jurassic World Alive. Players collect, discover, and create a variety of dinosaurs while exploring their own neighborhoods and cities around the world. Starting June 6 through July 31, select Walmart and AMC locations will allow players to collect branded supply drops and resources. Hasbro parters with … [Read more...] about Mobile & More Content Licensing
State of Toys & Games
Hasbro snaps up all intellectual property, category rights, and content libraries owned by Saban Properties and its affiliates for $522 million—including entertainment brands Power Rangers, My Pet Monster, Popples, Julius Jr., Luna Petunia, Treehouse Detectives, and certain others. The offer is subject to a number of closing conditions, including obtaining required regulatory … [Read more...] about State of Toys & Games
M&A: Toys & Entertainment Edition
Ubisoft acquires 1492 Studio, a French video game development house specializing in free-to-play episodic and interactive stories on mobile. eOne buys out the remaining 49% stake in The Mark Gordon Co. that it didn't already own in a deal worth $209 million. As part of the deal, founder Mark Gordon joins eOne as Chief Content Officer. Spin Master acquires plush manufacturer … [Read more...] about M&A: Toys & Entertainment Edition
NYTF18: Blind Bags, Glitter & Poop
This last week saw the latest iteration of New York Toy Fair and offered a clear formula for success in toy aisles this coming year—if a toy or game includes one or more of the following fads, it might sell: (1) low-price collectible with blind packaging, (2) "cute" sparkles and magic, or (3) "gross" material like poop, slime, and dirt. Retail sales of licensed toys and games … [Read more...] about NYTF18: Blind Bags, Glitter & Poop