The South Korean television series Squid Game, which launched in September, is currently the top Netflix show in 90 countries and is trending to be the most-viewed series ever on Netflix in the U.S. Its fast rise, which has occurred through word of mouth, despite a lack of promotion to back the show, has naturally […]
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Football Kits Hit the Right Notes
Musicans and football (soccer) organizations have come together in the past for a variety of commercial ventures. In some cases, singers and bands have offered clubs the rights to their songs, while in others the partners have jointly created one-of-a-kind kits for use on the field and for sale to fans. When it comes to […]
Stretching Out
Sales of activewear in the U.S. in the first six months of 2021 increased 40% compared to the same period in 2020 and 25%-plus compared to 2019, according to the NPD Group. As social activities start to open back up, consumers are going out with an increasingly casual sense of style, leading the fashion world […]
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 […]
Eco-Friendly Fungus
On this Earth Day 2021, it seems like a good time to take a look at the rising popularity of mushrooms as a focal point of sustainability initiatives. Mushrooms and mycelium, the vegetative branching filaments (akin to a root system) of a fungus, are viable not only as eco-friendly food ingredients but as materials to […]
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 […]
Sketches and Scribbles
Last week, Firefly Brand Management announced that it had signed on to represent professional doodler Todd Goldman for licensing representation. That follows on the heels of Striker Entertainment being retained by the Doodle Boy. It turns out that a long list of professional doodle artists from around the world promote their hand-drawn patterns and characters […]
Kicked to the Curb
A number of European football (soccer) clubs have been taking licensing, retail, and other rights in-house as their previous contracts with leading sports sponsors and licensees end: In the latest example, Italian club Inter Milan took retail and licensing rights back from Nike in November 2019. Chinese retailer Suning is the organization’s majority owner, which […]
A Need for More Space
Last summer, a number of licensors and their licensees created space-inspired products, promotions, and entertainment productions to capitalize on the high profile of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and the first steps on the moon in July. Some were tied to the Apollo space program and some to other space-related properties and/or themes. While […]