One of the predictions earlier this year, when collegiate athletes gained the ability to commercially exploit their names, images, and likenesses (NIL), was that the change would ultimately give female athletes as many opportunities as their male counterparts to generate revenue, something that hasn’t been true in professional sports to date. While it is still […]
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Talking Turkey
The U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving is one of the few celebration days throughout the year with relatively little licensing activity tied to it. It is a holiday centered on gratitude, food, and family, and not on extensive gift giving, costumes, decorating, or other more commercial endeavors. That said, there are a few opportunities tied to […]
Athletes Ace Tenniscore Trend
Apparel, accessories, and footwear items taking their inspiration from the sport of tennis—pleated tennis skirts, tennis dresses, skorts, preppy polo shirts, V-neck sweaters, and the like—have been hot commodities in the fashion industry this year. Brands such as Adidas and Nike are involved, but so are designers and labels such as Tory Burch and Dior. […]
Augmenting Activism Through Product Alignments
Celebrities are increasingly taking roles as activists, from supporting Black Lives Matter, to promoting women’s rights in light of the Me-Too movement, to highlighting sustainability. Meanwhile, activists working toward various causes are more often becoming celebrities in their own right. Members of both groups are looking at fashion and other product collaborations and brand ambassadorships […]
Characters Qualify for the Olympics
Licensed characters are playing a starring role this year in promoting national Olympic teams, Olympic sports, the Tokyo Olympic Games, and the Olympic spirit in general, both officially and non-officially. There is still some uncertainty surrounding the event, which is set to kick off on July 23, after a year-long pandemic delay, amid rising numbers […]
Shoe Business
With both sneaker collaborations and corporate novelty merchandise programs ubiquitous and still on the rise, is it any wonder that we’re seeing an explosion of offbeat corporate-branded shoes on the market? Products announced lately involve properties that are frequent participants in licensing and collaborations, as well as those that are new to the game. Many […]
Collaborations Honor Black History
By Karen Raugust on February 18, 2021 in Art, Demographic groups, Design and content themes, Fashion, Licensing
Black History Month in February of each year has not traditionally maintained as high a profile within the consumer product and collaboration space as Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place in September and October and has increasingly been seen as a time for licensors and their partners to create themed collections. IP owners and brands […]
For China’s Eyes Only
For some time, licensors ranging from luxury and sportswear labels to owners of character and sports IP have been developing their brands in China. Many have started to see some success there. In fact, a growing number identify the territory as one of their fastest rising in terms of merchandise sales. As a result, an […]
Sportswear Brands Still Competing in Asian Esports
By Karen Raugust on September 28, 2020 in COVID-19, Interactive gaming, International, Licensing, Sports
COVID-19 has had a big impact on global esports revenues. Newzoo predicted in July 2020 that revenues for the esports industry worldwide would increase by 1.7% this year, compared to growth of 23.3% year-on-year in 2019. Sales of esports merchandise and tickets—Newzoo tracks the two revenue streams as one segment of the total industry—will take […]
A Sporting Chance
One of the main topics of conversation in licensing, almost since the pandemic began, has been whether and how contracts could be renegotiated to better share risk between licensors and licensees. The sports industry is one sector in which a number of contracts are currently being questioned, reconfigured, or discontinued in the wake of the […]