License Global Releases the “Top Global Licensors Report 2022,” Indicating Signs of Industry-Wide Recovery

• The annual report shows total revenue of $260.8 billion
• Forty of the brand licensors bring in at least $1 billion at retail individually
• Seven new companies made the list: Bandai Namco Group, Serta Simmons Bedding, Nissan Motor Corporation, BMW Group, Turnowsky, Bromelia Produções, and DeAPlaneta Entertainment
• Click here to access the report

SANTA MONICA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–License Global magazine, the licensing industry’s thought leader and news source published by the Global Licensing Group, examines retail sales of licensed consumer products across all sectors for the 2021 fiscal year in its recently released Top Global Licensors Report. Total revenue for licensed consumer products at retail reported by the 88 licensors featured accounts for $260.8 billion, with 40 of those brand licensors bringing in at least $1 billion individually. Download the full Top Global Licensors Report 2022 here.

License Global surveyed its readership between April and May to directionally inform the annual editorial forecast and better understand the licensed consumer product market. This section of the report titled “The Brand Owner’s Survey: Brandscape 2022/23” is a result of that survey and the data collected, unless otherwise noted by source.

For the 2022 edition, this year’s top ten licensors play a substantial role in stabilizing the market, with nearly all reporting significant year-on-year growth. Notably, The Walt Disney Company holds firm to its designation as the world’s leading licensor, reporting an estimated $56.2 billion, marking a $2.2 billion in growth year-on-year. Other standout companies and notable figures include:

• Authentic Brands Group, the No. 3 Top Global Licensor, had the biggest revenue growth year-on-year, reporting a $7.9 billion gain over the fiscal year 2020.
• Significant movement from The Pokémon Company International (+$3.4 billion) and Dotdash Meredith (+$5.8 billion).
• In total, the latest Top Global Licensors Report shows an upward revenue growth for licensed consumer products at retail of +$39.6 billion from the fiscal year 2020 to 2021.
• Fashion was indicated as the leading brand category currently held by licensees (70%), followed by Entertainment (i.e., streaming and gaming) and Lifestyle categories (i.e., home and beauty) at 60%, with Corporate Brands at 50%.

“Last year was a critical time for brands and retailers across all product categories as they reassessed how to support and engage with consumers amid year two of the pandemic,” said Amanda Cioletti, Vice President, Content and Strategy at the Global Licensing Group, Informa Markets. “While challenges persist, a common – and very welcome! – theme we saw woven throughout this year’s report is the unmistakable positive shift in tone as brands adapt and recover.”

Cioletti continued, “All of the returning and new brands featured in the Top Global Licensors Report held a significant role in driving retail revenue, showcasing the immense power of licensed consumer products and brand extension as proven methods to engage with consumers, even amid the most challenging of times.”

Categories represented in the 2022 report span a wide cross-section of verticals, from entertainment and characters to art and design, sports, gaming, automotive, home goods, fashion and apparel, and more. Of the listed brands, seven companies are new to the Top Global Licensors Report: Bandai Namco Group, Serta Simmons Bedding, Nissan Motor Corporation, BMW Group, Turnowsky, Bromelia Produções, and DeAPlaneta Entertainment.

The Top 10 Global Licensors for 2022:

1. The Walt Disney Company – $56.2B (E)
2. Dotdash Meredith – $35.9B
3. Authentic Brands Group – $21.7B
4. WarnerMedia/Warner Bros. Consumer Products – $15B
5. The Pokémon Company International – $8.5B
6. Hasbro – $8.4B
7. NBCUniversal/Universal Brand Development – $8.3B
8. Mattel – $7.4B (E)
9. Bluestar Alliance – $6.5B
10. Paramount Global/Paramount Consumer Products and Experiences – $6B

Download the complete Top Global Licensors Report 2022 HERE.

Many of the brands featured in the Top Global Licensors Report 2022 are confirmed to exhibit at Brand Licensing Europe (BLE), an event bringing together the broadest range of brands from Europe available for license for three days of deal-making, networking, and trend spotting slated to be held at ExCeL London from September 20-22. Among companies in this year’s report confirmed for BLE include Acamar Films, Animaccord, BANDAI NAMCO Europe, BBC Studios Distribution, Crunchyroll, Hasbro Consumer Products, Mattel Brands Consumer Products, SEGA Publishing Europe, The Pokémon Company International, Warner Bros Entertainment UK, WWE and more. Visit here to explore the Brand Licensing Europe 2022 exhibitor list.

*All global licensors and/or licensing agents on behalf of the brands submitted financial figures, which are based on worldwide retail sales of licensed merchandise in 2021. License Global consults various industry sources, financial documents, annual reports, et al. and relies on the fiduciary responsibility of each company for accuracy. License Global converted EUR/GBP to USD with the assistance of Exchange-rates.org/converter as of June 27, 2022. All companies are public except as otherwise noted as PRIVATE or NON-PROFIT. This report is not intended to be a brand perception or popularity report, but a sales and trend report based on information submitted directly to License Global by each licensor. The Top Global Licensors Report is copyrighted and cannot be used without the written permission of License Global and Informa.

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About License Global

License Global magazine, published by the Global Licensing Group, is the leading news source for the brand licensing industry, delivering award-winning editorial content, including news, trends, analysis and special reports about the global consumer product and retail marketplace. Through its print edition, website, daily e-newsletter, webinars, podcast and event publications, License Global reaches more than 150,000 executives and professionals in all major markets. The magazine also serves as the official publication for the sector’s trade events, which include Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Expo Shanghai and the Brand & Licensing Innovation Summits.

About Global Licensing Group

The Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets is the licensing industry’s leading tradeshow organizer and media partner. Its mission is to provide licensing opportunities around the world by bringing brands and products together. The following events and information products are produced for the licensing industry by the Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets: Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Expo Shanghai, Brand & Licensing Innovation Summits, License Global magazine, License Global Daily E-News and The Licensing Mixtape podcast. Global Licensing Group events are sponsored by Licensing International.

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