Fresh and frozen fish may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about licensing. But there have been several deals in this category over the years.
Most recently, FremantleMedia Enterprises licensed the rights to The Deadliest Catch, a reality series airing on the Discovery Channel, to ShopHQ (now rebranded as Evine Live). The home shopping company is marketing a range of premium branded seafood entrées, as well as seafood-related cookware, tools, utensils, and aprons. The show’s star, Sig Hansen, has appeared on segments featuring the products, which are sold both on-air and online. The deal was announced in December and products are currently available.
Many licensed fresh and frozen fish programs over the years have been tied to alcohol brands; the licensor’s product is prominently featured in the batter or marinade. Examples include Guinness for beer-battered cod, shrimp, salmon, and tilapia with licensee High Liner; Jim Beam for bourbon-marinated salmon with Vita Food Products; and Sauza for tequila-infused tilapia with agave and lemon, plus chile-lime ceviche, also with Vita.
Other examples of licenses in the fish category have come from the realms of health and hospitality. Dr. Andrew Weil has worked with Vita on frozen salmon and cod entrees; Joe’s Crab Shack teamed with Gourmet Express for steamed, microwaveable cod, salmon, and mahi mahi dishes; and the Biltmore, the Vanderbilt residence that has long been associated with hospitality, has offered smoked salmon and hake with Seven Seas International.
Even the occasional character property has sought a taste of seafood. The Norwegian preschool TV series City of Friends signed Sekkingstad for a line of vacuum-packed salmon fillets sold in Norway.
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