The governing bodies that oversee professional racing across a variety of vehicles and types, along with other racing-related properties, have been active on the consumer products front since the beginning of 2022. Many have signed new licensing deals (especially in gaming, toys, and collectibles), extended existing agreements, launched new product lines, retained new agents, and/or […]
Tag Archives | Fanatics
Wrestling Groups Pin Down New Deals
Last week WWE announced a multifaceted partnership with Fanatics. This is just the latest in a string of initiatives that have surfaced in the past year or so involving wrestling-related IP. Properties and brands at the forefront include: WWE. Its long-term, global deal with Fanatics encompasses e-commerce (including a reintroduction of the WWE Shop); licensed […]
NIL Service Providers in the News
A lot has happened since collegiate athletes and other students gained the right to commercially exploit their own names, images, and likenesses (NIL) nine months ago, on July 1, 2021. For one thing, a variety of services and platforms—marketplaces, group licensing and marketing agencies, educational and back-end resource providers, and the like—have been formed to […]
Trading Card Transformations
The trading card industry has been experiencing a number of changes this year, from skyrocketing interest in collecting, to decades-long licensing agreements changing hands, to the emergence of new opportunities including non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and collegiate name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights. Some of the key trends to watch: A pandemic-fueled rise in popularity. Interest […]
Face Time
Face stickers are a form of social expression and a niche category that offers opportunities for licensing. Many products from the leading marketers in this space have a particular purpose, as these examples indicate: Face Lace creates fashion-forward stickers for dramatic looks that go beyond what can be done with color cosmetics, mascara, and eye […]
All-In On Acquisition
For some time, the companies that have been best able to navigate a challenging licensing landscape have tended to be either large, resource-rich entities or small independents. The former can control their supply chain and take advantage of synergies across industries, while the latter are able to offer unique, niche-oriented products and are agile enough […]
Competing for Fan Loyalty During Hard Times
By Karen Raugust on May 14, 2020 in Branding/marketing, Business models, COVID-19, Licensing, Sports
One segment of the licensing business where the shutdown of live events has had a significant impact is sports. The cancellation of sports seasons and events has removed their core reason for being, creating financial hardship for many and lessening the urge to purchase licensed merchandise, both in the short term and very possibly for […]
About Face
When we last wrote about face masks as a licensing opportunity, about a month ago, licensors’ and licensees’ activities in this space were almost purely charitable, with the products donated directly to healthcare workers. But manufacturers and IP owners have pivoted quickly to creating masks for consumers to purchase. There is still a charitable component—with […]
School’s Out
By Karen Raugust on May 4, 2020 in Branding/marketing, Collegiate, COVID-19, Experiential licensing, Licensing
While the spread of the COVID-19 virus has created a long list of challenges and uncertainties for the licensing community, it has also given rise to some untapped opportunities for properties that are a good fit and can capitalize in a way that makes sense. One is to help fill the void for high school […]
To Promote, or Not To Promote
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, many companies put their plans on hold for product launches, marketing and media campaigns, publicity, and the like. But some have decided that an uninterrupted presence in consumers’ minds will help position them for success, or at least survival, once the peak of the crisis has passed. They have therefore […]