License Global’s Top Licensors Report 2023 Now Available

September 1, 2023 | License Global’s “Top Global Licensors Report 2023” is now available, offering industry professionals insight into the licensed consumer products and experiences market, in addition to a detailed analysis of global retail sales and the strategies that drove their success in the previous year. Play professionals can expect to see this intersection of toys and licensing as they walk the aisles at Toy Fair®, taking place September 30 to October 3 at the Javits Center in New York City.

According to the “Top Global Licensors Report,” global sales revenue generated by licensed merchandise and services grew to $340.8 billion in 2022, an 8.02% increase over the $315.5 billion generated in 2021. The top 20 brands collectively contributed $230 billion to this total, with $189 billion originating from the top 10 alone. In addition, the top 10 brands — including The Walt Disney Company, The Pokémon Company International, and Mattel — achieved an average year-over-year growth rate of 20 percent, with individual businesses boasting growth rates as high as 61 percent.

“As attendees search for the hottest and trending items at Toy Fair, armed with the insights from License Global’s ‘Top Global Licensors Report 2023,’ they'll gain a strategic advantage by understanding the thriving licensed consumer products and experiences market, and how it's intricately linked with the world of toys,” said Kimberly Carcone, executive vice president of global market events at The Toy Association.

The Top Global Licensors Report also provides a nuanced breakdown of revenue figures by country, category, and business segment. Additional insights include:

• The most powerful brands based on prior-year merchandise sales and the activity that helped them to achieve that outcome
• Strategy and category insights from the world’s largest brands
• Brandscape, a directionally informed market survey of brand licensor activity, that includes the product categories licensors will bank on in 2024, top performing licenses and entertainment properties, and more statistics and infographics

"Alongside the incredible growth we see year-on-year in the brand licensing business, the Top Global Licensors report tells us how the toy business permeates licensing, or vice versa. In our top twenty alone, we have brands native to toys and games at their core – such as Hasbro, Mattel and Pokémon – who rank alongside entertainment brands that play heavily in the toy market – such as Warner Bros., The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal and Paramount – as well as corporate brands like WHP Global (Toys R’ Us) and Stanley, Black & Decker who engage kids in innovative play through licensing,” stated Ben Roberts, EMEA Content Director of License Global. “Looking ahead to 2024/25, our Brandscape report also showed us that 36% of brands taking part in our global survey actively plan to license toy lines in 2024/25, which is impressive considering the report carries brands from across all verticals. In short, whether it's gaming, movies, animated shows or even construction brands, intellectual property licensing in toys can inspire new play patterns, drive creativity in design, cultivate fandom across all ages and ultimately push both industries forward."

The “Top Global Licensors Report 2023” is free for Licensing International members and non-members. Click here to access the full report. Reach out to info@licensing.org with any questions.