Earlier this year, Pop Warner Little Scholars named Ignite 2X as its agent for Pop Warner sports, fan, and lifestyle products in all categories. The organization, which focuses on youth football and cheer/dance and offers various scholastic programs, plans products ranging from apparel, school supplies, toys, and collectibles, to home accents and electronic games. The […]
Archive | Sports
The Far Reach of Fanatics
Earlier this month, Fanatics revealed that it was purchasing VF Corporation’s sports business, which includes Majestic Athletic, a leading licensee of the U.S. pro sports leagues. This is just the latest step in the company’s continuing march toward sports-licensing domination over the past couple of years, and it seems like a good opportunity to take […]
The New Spectator Sports
Several niche spectator sports are starting to emerge as commercially viable and increasingly mainstream, and a few have attracted licensing deals. The pastimes, and their associated products, tend to appeal largely to millennials, with their fan bases often, but not always, skewing male. Some are global athletic competitions, supported by sponsors, TV coverage, and other […]
Brands Enter the E-Sports Arena
Last year, Jinx—a company perhaps best known for its Minecraft apparel—announced that it would create clothing and accessories specifically for e-sports players and fans under the Jinx Pro brand, including licensed products tied to teams such as Team Liquid and Echo Fox. It is one of a growing, but still small, group of manufacturers acquiring […]
On Sports and E-Sports
Licensing deals in the e-sports arena remain fairly limited, both in number and in scope. But e-sports—a term that refers to professional competitive video gaming—continues to progress commercially, likely setting the stage for more and bigger licensing agreements down the line. One recent development of note is that traditional pro sports organizations are increasingly supporting […]
College Co-Brands
Over the past few years, collegiate licensing programs have upped their co-branding and cross-licensing activities, creating initiatives that combine their own marks with outside properties of various types: Local pro teams. Licensee Champion forged a deal for apparel that blends the IP of the Texas Tech University Red Raiders with that of Major League Baseball’s […]
Fine Fashion for Fans
Opportunities for manufacturers to enter the sports licensing business, at least when it comes to the four major pro leagues and many of the larger collegiate licensors, have declined over the years. Although their licensee lists remain lengthy, Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, and leading […]
E-Sports Update
A lot has happened in the e-sports market since we last covered the topic in August 2016: More merchandise deals. Apparel licensee J!nx licensed Echo Fox, an e-sports team founded by former NBA athlete Rick Fox, for a line of clothing and accessories including hoodies, caps, and t-shirts. The company is also introducing a lifestyle […]
The Evolving World of Branded E-Commerce
Licensors and licensees are watching developments in the brand-specific e-commerce space. While recent announcements from Fanatics and Delivery Agent have little in common on the surface, together they reflect the challenges facing property-specific e-commerce due to fast-paced technology changes, quickly evolving consumer shopping patterns, and ever-expanding competition. Service providers either adapt or fail. Fanatics confirmed […]
Fun With Figures
A growing slice of the sports-licensing pie consists of part-toy/part-collectible figures depicting uniformed athletes from the pro leagues, along with pro and collegiate mascots. The products, made under license from the leagues and their players’ associations, are moderately priced and have play value, but also appeal to collectors young and old. Some of the key […]