Celebrity presence at this year’s Licensing International Expo, which officially opens tomorrow (June 21, 2016), promises to skew toward the sports arena, as many of the scheduled appearances are tied to athletes or others in the sports industry.
The NFL Players Association is bringing a contingent of pro football team members, from Ameer Abdullah of the Detroit Lions to Graham Gano of the Carolina Panthers, for instance, as it has for the past few years. Former NBA star and current sports analyst Shaquille O’Neal will meet and greet at the booth of Authentic Brands Group, which took an ownership stake in his business ventures in late 2015. And Matthew Berry, ESPN’s senior fantasy sports analyst, will be present to help launch his Fantasy Life brand for licensing, along with his newly signed licensing rep, The Wildflower Group.
The sports-centric nature of the celebrity schedule at this year’s show reflects the growing prominence of individual athletes (versus teams) in licensing, both through the group deals conducted via their players’ associations, if they are in one of the pro sports leagues, and by way of their individual brand-extension activity.
Some notable areas of interest of late include players known for their pro basketball and football careers forging direct-to-retail sales for men’s suits; tennis, baseball, soccer, and hockey players establishing underwear brands; swimmers and bikers upping their activity in apparel and equipment categories related to their sport; and supporting players such as analysts, commentators, and coaches entering licensing, to name just a few examples.
The proliferation of athlete-focused deals, which has been notable for the past several years, is likely to continue, as social media, reality television, and fantasy sports keep fans closely connected to their favorite players and as celebrities of all stripes maintain their ability to drive product sales.
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