The Licensing Letter

Video Games and Software

Nina Hahn Tapped by ViacomCBS to Lead Kids’ Programming Launch

Nickelodeon’s International SVP of production and development Nina Hahn has been tapped by ViacomCBS International Studios (VIS) to oversee the launch of a new kids’ programming initiative. VIS Kids is broadening its global kids content pipeline to include short and long-form content that will be produced and sold to third parties, as well as to ViacomCBS brands and … [Read more...] about Nina Hahn Tapped by ViacomCBS to Lead Kids’ Programming Launch

State of the Union: Reviewing Video Games in 2018

Contact the editor at karina@plainlanguagemedia.com The U.S. video gaming industry broke records in 2018 to hit an estimated $43.4 billion in sales, according to the NPD Group, marking a rise of 18% year-over-year. Hardware revenue, including peripherals, hit $7.5 billion for a markup of 15% year-over-year. Software revenue was up 18% to reach $35.8 billion. Accessory and … [Read more...] about State of the Union: Reviewing Video Games in 2018

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