License Global magazine has released its top 50 licensing companies, and toon-based behemoths once again top the list (last year’s ranking in parentheses):
1. Disney Consumer Products $30 billion (1)
2. Iconix $6.5 billion (4)
3. Warner Brothers Consumer Products $6 billion (3)
4. Marvel Entertainment $5.7 billion (5)
5. Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products $5.5 billion (6)
6. Major League Baseball $5.1 billion (7)
7. Phillips-Van Heusen $5 billion (2)
8. Sanrio $5 billion (8)
9. The Collegiate Licensing Company $4.28 billion (–)
10. Cherokee Group $4 billion (9)
11. General Motors $3.4 billion (11)
12. National Football League $3.4 billion (10)
13. Mattel Brands Consumer Products $3+ billion (16)
14. National Basketball Association $3 billion (12)
15. Pentland Brands $3 billion (–)
16. Westinghouse $2.8 billion (13)
17. Hit Entertainment $2.5 billion (15)
18. International Brand Management $2+ billion (–)
19. MGA Entertainment $2 billion (14)
20. Rainbow $2 billion (–)
21. BBC Worldwide $1.9 billion (27)
22. Twentieth Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising $1.75 billion (19)
23. Cartoon Network Enterprises $1.7 billion (33)
24. Ferrari $1.5 billion (22)
25. Ford Motor Company $1.5 billion (24)
26. Giochi Preziosi Group $1.5 billion (–)
27. Sesame Workshop $1.5 billion (21)
28. Kathy Ireland Worldwide $1.4 billion (23)
29. Perry Ellis International $1.4 billion (29)
30. Pokemon USA $1.4 billion (26)
31. Sunkist Growers $1.4 billion (25)
32. Chorion $1.3 billion (38)
33. MGM Consumer Products and Location Based Entertainment $1.2 billion (–)
34. Peanuts $1.2 billion (30)
35. Fremantle Media Enterprises $1.1 billion (34)
36. Cookie Jar Consumer Products $1+ billion (82)
37. World Wrestling Entertainment $1+ billion (37)
38. Caterpillar $1 billion (44)
39. Harley-Davidson $1 billion (41)
40. Jarden Corp. $1 billion (35)
41. Sony Pictures Consumer Products $ 1 billion (18)
42. Universal Studios Consumer Products Group $1 billion (36)
43. The Coca-Cola Co. $850 million (39)
44. Frigidaire $850 million (43)
45. Playboy Enterprises International $800+ million (46)
46. Carte Blanche Greetings $800 million (45)
47. Kellwood $800 million (42)
48. American Greetings Properties $750 million (40)
49. Whirlpool $656 million (47)
50. Chrysler LLC $625 million (32)
Iconix (once Candies) is a licensing company that buys up clothing brands such as Joe Boxer and London Fog and sells their merch at J.C Penneys, Sears, etc. Aside from that, the top five are all toon, all the time. Remember, the big money is in the ancillary rights!
I’m guessing that Warners figure is an aggregate DC *and* anything else that Warners has control over. Which, unless I miss my guess, puts Marvel distinctly ahead in the sweepstakes, at least as comics publishers are concerned.
Yay! DC and Disney comics companies are also very large!! YAY!! And Marvel is 4th, yay!! Yay!!! Yay all around, yay!!!! Who’s gonna license the most crap? Yay!!! yeah…
Warner would prolly include stuff like “The Wizard of Oz” and Bugs Bunny and co, along with the DC stuff.
Interesting…
Yes, you’ve definitely missed your guess.
Wow… Sesame Workshop is #27. So there is some good in the world.
And where is Lucasfilm?
Kathy Ireland? Wow.
@Torsten: I agree. Something seems strange when Kathy Ireland has supposedly out-licensed the Star Wars franchise.
Unless she has the rights to Lord of the Rings…!
Intersting that Warners and Cartoon Network are separate.
Also, seems odd that MLB is ahead of the NFL. I guess that probably has to do with baseball more globally marketed (Japan, Korea, etc) than football.
Speaking of football, no English Premier League on that list, given the way they merch the heck out of Asia and the Middle East?
Are we all forgetting her tremendously successful line of “Kiss me, I’m Kathy!” t-shirts?
I sonder if Ireland’s sales are UNDERREPORTED because she trys always to present this “aw schucks…me? Just getting started stuff.Those surprised @ Kathy Ireland’s success may not be not aware of the many intellectual properties Ireland owns. Her company is a tough negotiator and represents as well as owns many brands in addition to her own 100,000 skus. And her partnerships are lasting ones…For example, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway’s Shaw Flooring has been an Ireland program for over 10 years. The only “designer” carpet brand of the largest flooring maker in the world.The same company dropped Martha Stewart when their flooring program flopped. Ireland is the home brand for mom and pop retailers everywhere. Kiss me I’m Ireland? Funny. I don’t know about that. I would say, Smile I’m Ireland as she goes all the way to the bank..