The characters we love in our favourite movies mint money for the production houses through licensing. Last year, licensing alone was a $260 Billion business globally !

Hello friends ! I am back with Leeds 1888 and from this newsletter onwards , I have become this Gyani Baba (a.k.a. enlightened soul !) who will identify, dissect and simplify the most complex, hidden, untold, hush hush and often confusing facts about the Actual Business of Media and Entertainment industry. Well no more reviews, news or buzz stories ! I am in a different orbit this week onwards and I want you to hop on and have fun with the interesting things I put together in this newsletter. Let’s Begin

By the way, before going ahead , I recently bought this amazing marvel T-shirt last week and I want you to let me know how it is?

Did you find it cool? Well, at least I did! And hell no, if you think it's some fake copy printed on a low-quality T-shirt, it's not! In fact, it's a Marvel-licensed Deadpool series product from a top brand, and I had to pay a premium to buy it

Have you ever wondered how these characters end up on merchandise or become a part of a video game or publication? Today, I am going to discuss the business of licensing movie characters by companies for merchandise, services, and many more things ! 🙂

$261 billion globally, and the market for licensed merchandise is projected to continue to grow in the coming years. In fact, a report by License Global found that retail sales of licensed products grew by over 30% in 2022, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. OMG, now that’s something we need to know more about, let’s dive deep into it.

When it comes to movie characters specifically, there are some franchises that stand out as particularly successful in the licensing space. Disney is the ‘Father of all Licensors’ with Disney’s own characters, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, ESPN, Twentieth Century and National Geographic together generating a whooping $56.2 billion in revenue from licensed products.

Here is the list of top 10 licensers in the year 2022.

So how do you get into a ‘Successful Licensing Engagement’ with these Giants?

If you are an aspiring licensee looking to get in on the business of licensing movie characters, there are a few key things to keep in mind.

1. Check out which movie character is the right fit for your product or brand.

2. Once you shortlist the character , you can reach out to them with a proposal through their website. Most of these production houses have a dedicated department for licensing characters.

3. In addition, it is important to negotiate a licensing agreement that is fair and beneficial for both parties. This means ensuring that the terms of the contract are clear and mutually agreed upon, and that the royalty or fee structure is reasonable and reflective of the value of the IP being licensed.

4. Finally, keep in mind to maintain the integrity of the character(s) throughout the licensing engagement. This means working closely with the studio or IP owner to ensure that the products being produced meet their quality standards and do not harm the reputation of the character(s) or the franchise as a whole.

Indian film studios and production houses have a long way to go in developing a formidable business out of Indian movie characters. Are you listening “Industry people” ? 🙂 

A few years back Bahubali made a somewhat mediocre attempt in licensing the character ’Bahubali’ but could not garner public attention. The truth of the matter in the Indian context is that we first need to create compelling characters and stories that can generate a huge fan frenzy and then focus on the licensing part. By the way, the kids cartoon character, ‘Chota Bheem’ is a highly successful licensed character from India.

The business of licensing movie characters is a fascinating and highly lucrative aspect of the film industry. By allowing third-party companies to use their intellectual property for various products and services, studios and IP owners can generate additional revenue streams without having to invest in any new projects. At the same time, licensees can tap into an existing fan base and capitalise on the popularity of popular movie characters to generate sales and build their brand.

With the licensing industry continuing to grow, and franchises like Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe setting the bar for success in the space, there is no doubt that licensing movie characters will continue to be an important aspect of the film industry for years to come. Whether you are a studio looking to generate additional revenue or a licensee looking to build your brand, the business of licensing movie characters is full of exciting opportunities and potential for growth. To conclude , I leave you with the thought that if these characters generate so much money annually through legally licensed merchandise and offerings, imaging the size of the market that dwells of the fake /copy of these characters. Unreal, isn’t it !

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Although I previously stated that I wouldn't be providing any news, I am feeling very tempted to share these with you! 😆 

Top News

Guess who's back, back again! Rami Malek, Oscar Winner and the mastermind behind 007's demise in the last movie, is all geared up to star in the upcoming spy thriller flick "Amateur." The movie is backed by none other than 20th Century Studios.

Second Top News !

Hold onto your seats, folks! The highly acclaimed Indian American filmmaker, M Night Shyamalan, has just struck a brand spanking new multi-year, first-look deal with Warner Bros. Pictures, leaving behind his previous allegiance to Universal. This means that we can expect more of his thrilling and mind-bending films in the future, all under the Warner Bros. banner!

Well those were the top two news picks from my side and that brings me to the end of today’s newsletter. Share your thought on today’s topic and do connect with me if you need any information or analysis from the world of media and entertainment.

Until next time, this is your friend Vipul signing off.

Namaskar !