Big nationwide and worldwide milestones, such as the bicentennial of the founding of the U.S. (1976), the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in America (1992), and the Y2K celebrations marking the changeover to a new century (2000) typically spur major licensing efforts. In fact, multiple organizations often launch competing initiatives, leading to some confusion […]
Tag Archives | UFC
Gym-Related Brands Bulk Up
In the U.S., 81 million residents belonged to a gym or fitness facility in 2025 — a record — up 5.2% compared to 2024, according to the Health & Fitness Association’s 2026 U.S. Health & Fitness Consumer Report. More than a quarter (26.1%) of people aged 6 or older had a membership in 2025. All told, […]
Will Sports IPs Bet on Prediction Markets?
Prediction markets are exchange platforms that allow users to buy and sell contracts whose value is tied to the outcome of specific future events. It is essentially investing in — many observers would say betting on — whether a certain event will occur, with values based on probabilities, supply and demand, and other factors. On […]
Extreme Refreshment
Ice baths, cold water therapy, and contrast therapy, which combines cold-water or ice baths with saunas, have collectively been increasing in popularity over the past few years to become one of the top wellness trends globally in 2025. This is true for ice baths in particular. Wellness spas are adding ice baths to their offerings, […]
Taking Care of Tattooed Skin
As tattoo art has become a ubiquitous form of self expression, a lengthening list of specialist companies have come on the scene to fill the need for tattoo aftercare. This sector encompasses everything from products to heal and comfort the skin just after getting a new tattoo to products that rejuvenate the skin and protect, […]
Sports Licensors Win with Wine
Historically, sports viewership has been much more associated with the consumption of beer than with wine. But that situation has been changing over the past few years as sports leagues, teams, and governing bodies have increasingly paired with wine marketers, opening up a new category for promotions and, in some cases, licensed products: In July […]
Joining the Fight Club
Two toy-industry deals announced this month, for the fighting franchises WWE and UFC, respectively, are the latest of a number of agreements in this space to launch over the last couple of years. In addition to the loyal family audience attracted to the leading properties, fighting-related IPs offer a clear play pattern that makes them […]
A 4/20 Focus on Health and Wellness
The interest among licensed property owners in cannabis-industry collaborations has waned slightly as the challenges of succeeding in this complex market have become evident. But, as the industry and its consumers celebrated the unofficial 4/20 holiday this weekend, celebrity brands and other licensed IP with a logical connection to the category continue to partner regularly […]
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 […]
Fighting the Good Fight
Mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes have been actively entering into partnerships for apparel and other categories, or launching their own merchandise programs, in 2020 and 2021: Conor McGregor launched an apparel collaboration early this month with Roots of Fight, including t-shirts as well as a hoodie, a thermal shirt, and sweatpants. The collection was available […]