One of the most notable new wrinkles at last week’s Licensing Expo in Las Vegas was the presence of the major streaming platforms, with YouTube, AwesomenessTV, and Amazon Studios all first-time exhibitors. They were talking to attendees about the potential for financing and distributing content, as well as providing a showcase for the licensors of their most popular current properties and (in some cases) their own brands.
Meanwhile, Netflix was prominently featured in the booths of licensors ranging from 41 Entertainment (Kong: King of the Apes) to Masha & the Bear Ltd. (Masha & the Bear) as the financier and distributor of their properties.
The high profile of these companies at the Expo illustrates the multifaceted impact the growth of streaming and social media is having on the licensing business.
First, the number of licensable celebrities coming from streaming platforms is growing rapidly, with each attracting audiences that rival traditional media in size and surpass them in fan engagement. Examples include Bethany Mota, Brooklyn and Bailey, Cameron Dallas, and many more. They are lending their names to apparel and accessories—with Mota’s line at Aeropostale being one of the first major deals and likely the broadest—as well as books, beauty products, and more. At the show, Jazwares announced its Tube Heroes line of toys tied to more than 40 cyber celebrities.
Second, character and entertainment properties with exposure only on streaming media have begun to gain enough traction to attract licensees. Masha and the Bear announced at the Expo that it had signed Spin-Master as its U.S. master toy licensee, to name just one example. Frederator Studios’ Cartoon Hangover channel (YouTube) and Out of the Blue Enterprises’ Creative Galaxy (Amazon) were among the other streaming-based entertainment properties exhibiting.
Third, traditional licensing agencies are increasingly signing on to represent properties rooted in streaming, signaling their potential for mainstream success. The Joester Loria Group works with SMOSH, eOne with Cimorelli, and The Brand Liaison with Captain Sparklez, for instance.
Finally, streaming media are increasingly credited with raising properties from other sectors to a level that makes them licensable. In an Expo panel on the future of retail, Hot Topic CEO Lisa Harper noted that streaming has made several vintage TV shows relevant for licensing and has helped boost TV properties in general. And Richard Barry, executive vice president and global chief merchandising officer of Toys ‘R’ Us, pointed out that Minecraft’s popularity grew largely through YouTube, where kids can watch clips of other kids playing.
The exclusive Licensing Trend of the Month in tomorrow’s Raugust Communications e-newsletter will be a discussion of another notable trend at the show: the many Expo exhibitors specializing in automation. This year’s crop went well beyond the royalty management companies that have long been a factor at the show, extending into facets of the licensing business ranging from brand protection to product development. We’ll also be taking a look at more trends from the Expo in future blog posts.
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