Entertainment properties in 2022 had to adjust to playing to a new audience as streaming services took further hold. Content continued to shift from the confines of theaters to the home as well as mobile devices, and the licensing industry scoured YouTube and social media for new IPs.

And while these properties adapted to a changing landscape, the major players behind them—including studios, production companies, and streaming services—also underwent significant change. Now, as the industry makes plans for 2023, we’re taking a look back at some of the most significant entertainment stories from the past 12 months.

Tentpoles Adjusted 

After two years in which once-ironclad film release schedules were upended by the pandemic, this year marked a return to a somewhat normal cadence. But with films now being released for theatrical, streaming, or some combination of the two, the licensing industry was forced to adapt once again.

The result was less reliance for licensing on the latest sequel and a greater focus on evergreen properties that generate sales regardless of box office returns. And while there were box office hits—Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of the Water, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever were among them—many licensees relied on evergreen elements rather than marketing programs that supported these new sequels.

And while streaming services didn’t seem to deliver as many surprise hits that generated must-have products this year—Squid Game (2021) and Ted Lasso (2020) are two recent examples that come to mind—there was ample fodder for licensing as streaming services released more audience data, provided greater access to IP assets, and expanded licensing groups.

Studios Shuffled

As film and streaming release schedules shuffled, so too did the executive ranks of the studios that supply them.

Warner Media and Discovery merged to create Warner Bros. Discovery, and a restructuring quickly got underway. CEO David Zaslav moved to prune the combined company’s film portfolio in seeking to place bigger bets on a smaller number of properties. Among the early victims was Batman: The Animated Series and Batgirl as the company shifted focus to franchises like Harry Potter, Superman, and other DC Comics properties.

And in probably the highest profile change, Robert Iger returned as Disney CEO to replace handpicked replacement Bob Chapek in a move that led to the departure of other top-level executives. While Disney unveiled plans in 2021 to move about 2,000 employees (including those in licensing) to Orlando, it has delayed the move several times. Netflix and NBCUniversal also endured layoffs.

Experiences Expanded

Location-based entertainment (LBE) emerged as a driving force in 2022 as projects sidelined by the pandemic opened or continued development. And they grew in popularity as IP owners sought to broaden their licensing efforts and consumers moved to immerse themselves in a brand. Whether it was a full-blown theme park (Falcon’s Beyond), mall-based offering (Kingsmen Creatives), pop-up experience, escape room, or hotel (Hasbro), LBE became a go-to strategy for entertainment IP.

Indeed, anime, long confined to books and consumer products, became a growing force in LBE. Overlook Events, for one, is scheduled to release the Dragon Ball Symphonic Adventure Experience at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on January 21, 2023. And Studio Ghibli launched a $295-million theme park in Nagoya, Japan on November 1 dedicated to films like My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away.

And, in a sure sign of a growing business, LBE sub-genres emerged. Life-sized LBE, which allows players to fully immerse themselves in a life-sized version of a property, debuted when Hasbro licensee Gamepath Entertainment opened Monopoly Lifesized in London. Rovio Entertainment licensee Electric Gamebox opened life-sized versions of Angry Birds across its franchisees in the U.S. and UK.