A Nickelodeon theme park is headed to the Mall of China in Chongqing, China. The 28,000 sq. meter (or just over 300 sq. ft.) park will showcase 29 attractions and 14 Nick properties, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and PAW Patrol. The theme park is slated to open in 2020. Animaccord and Italian theme park Leolandia will open a … [Read more...] about Retail & Experiential: Theme Parks, Amazon Go & More
Amazon
TV Talk: Series With Licensing Potential
Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com The average consumer has 4.5 different sources (up from 3.7 in 2014) to choose from when they’re ready to watch a TV show, including linear TV, DVR, VOD, Netflix, and Hulu, according to Hub Entertainment Research. Among younger viewers aged 18-34, the number of platforms is even higher at 5.1 average platforms. Only 39% of viewers … [Read more...] about TV Talk: Series With Licensing Potential
The Biz of Media, Ecommerce & Fashion
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! reenergizes its history with a two-year touring, digital content, and publishing partnership with action sports entertainment brand Nitro Circus. Ripley’s will be featured throughout Nitro Circus’ live shows and the Nitro World Games. As part of the agreement, Ripley Publishing also becomes the exclusive publisher for Nitro Circus, releasing its … [Read more...] about The Biz of Media, Ecommerce & Fashion
Content Watch: New Series & Activations
Differential Brands Group will acquire the majority of Hong Kong-based Global Brands Group Holding Ltd.’s North American licensing business for $1.38 billion in an all-cash deal expected to close Q3 2018. The acquisition is expected to boost Differential Brands’ annual revenues up to more than $2.3 billion. The assets at stake comprise all of GBG's North American children’s … [Read more...] about Content Watch: New Series & Activations
The Low-Down on Amazon Merch Collab
Ask any licensing executive what they think is the next big meteor to hit the business and you'll get one answer: Amazon. At this year's Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, Amazon VP Nicholas Denissen gave a keynote address where he revealed an out-of-this-world Amazon projection—the global licensing industry will grow to $1 trillion in the next ten years. Part of that increase, of … [Read more...] about The Low-Down on Amazon Merch Collab
Retail: Shifting Towards 360 Degree Distribution
From the floor of Licensing Expo Las Vegas, Amazon is demanding an outsized role in the licensing business. Its VP Nicholas Denissen, this year’s keynote speaker, opened the show with the claim that the ecommerce giant will balloon licensed retail sales to $1 trillion over the next 10 years. The online retail giant is pushing its Merch Collab service to licensors, licensees, … [Read more...] about Retail: Shifting Towards 360 Degree Distribution
Streaming & Experiential Power Up
DreamWorksTV, a division of Awesomeness that creates family-friendly digital content distributed via YouTube, partners with Amazon to launch its first subscription offering. The individual OTT network will offer exclusive programming including Schneck & Eck Crack The Case, Action Figures In Action, Secret Agent Challenge, and Neighborhood Super Watch. Global streaming … [Read more...] about Streaming & Experiential Power Up
Emerging Content
As we enter into the new year, here are the latest new brands with licensing potential as well as ways to exploit them. Hasbro is planning a new animated TV series for 2019 based on its Micronauts line of collectables. The mini superhero brand will see a live-action movie in 2020 following the TV series, which is aimed at 6–11 year-olds. Hulu teams up with executive producer … [Read more...] about Emerging Content
In & Around 34th Street
By: Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com I try to trek down to 34th St. Herald Square, in central New York City, every once in a while. As we enter the holiday shopping season, there were some interesting licensed retail activities in and around town. The newest addition to Herald Square is the Build a Bear Workshop. The central attraction is the retailer's three … [Read more...] about In & Around 34th Street
Licensed Home-related Goods Up 3.4% WW in 2016
By Karina Masolova, karina@plainlanguagemedia.com Retail sales of licensed home furnishings, housewares, and domestics grew by 3.4% globally, according to The Licensing Letter's Annual Licensing Business Survey. Growth was largely thanks to returns in consumer confidence and economic stability. Retail played a strong role in supporting the growth of a wide variety of brands, … [Read more...] about Licensed Home-related Goods Up 3.4% WW in 2016