The anime market outside of Japan grew a record 26% in 2024, according to an October 2025 report from the Association of Japanese Animations (AJA). This extends a period of growth for the anime market (beyond Japan) that has been ongoing since 2012. Revenue growth for the Japanese market, meanwhile, was just 2.8% in 2024, […]
Archive | Licensing
More Options For Your Fashionable Pet
Fashion labels, especially those on the luxury end of the spectrum, have been getting into the pet products category for many years now. Examples range from Louis Vuitton and Gucci to Versace and Ralph Lauren, among others. Although there are exceptions to the rule, most of these marketers have opted to go the in-house route, […]
Embracing Change in Collegiate Licensing
The collegiate sports market has been experiencing upheaval over the past several years, with the advent and evolution of name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities; growth in athlete transfers; coaching turnover; conference realignment; revenue sharing with athletes; and more. These trends are accompanied by broader issues impacting colleges and universities, such as falling enrollments and […]
Specialist Fashion Brands Jump On Bedding
Designers and labels from the world of fashion have long been key players in licensed home textiles. A recent burst of licensing and collaboration deals have involved companies known for their expertise in specific sectors of the fashion industry, such as innerwear, headwear, and footwear. These niches may not, at first glance, seem to be […]
Happy Pop-Culture Holiday
May the Fourth be with you on this Star Wars Day. To celebrate, it seems like a good time to take a look at the common phenomenon of property-centric “holidays” like this one, of which there are many. These pop culture events often simply commemorate the date the property first launched. But often the hook […]
Gym-Related Brands Bulk Up
In the U.S., 81 million residents belonged to a gym or fitness facility in 2025 — a record — up 5.2% compared to 2024, according to the Health & Fitness Association’s 2026 U.S. Health & Fitness Consumer Report. More than a quarter (26.1%) of people aged 6 or older had a membership in 2025. All told, […]
Guitarists Amp Up On Signature Equipment
These days, musicians are involved in all manner of licensed lifestyle products, from home goods to fashion apparel to foods and beverages. But they also continue to lend their expertise to core musician-branded products such as musical instruments and accessories, whether or not they have expanded into the lifestyle realm as well. A case in […]
Collections Score Points with Padel Players
Padel is following in the footsteps of pickleball as a fast-rising racket sport that is starting to make a mark in the licensing business. Originating in Spain, padel — which combines elements of tennis, squash, racketball, and tennis — counts 35 million players around the world as of the end of 2025, according to the […]
Retailers Smell Opportunity in Beauty Sector
Since the Covid pandemic, the beauty industry has been outperforming many other product categories when it comes to sales growth. Several retailers are looking to capitalize on current trends by entering into partnerships to boost their branded offerings in the category. In 2025, the U.S. prestige beauty industry saw both dollar and unit sales grow […]
Commuting With Cartoon Characters
By Karen Raugust on April 16, 2026 in Character/Entertainment, Experiential licensing, International, Licensing
In Japan, collaborations with subway and train systems are a frequent form of experiential licensing featuring anime and video game characters. The different regional systems under the Japan Railways umbrella are common collaborators, but many other train operators, both public and private, are also players in this space. On the licensor side, Nintendo is a […]