New York, NY – License Global, the licensing industry’s thought leader, today reveals its highly anticipated annual study, The Top Global Licensors report. This year’s report totaled $278 billion in retail sales of licensed consumer products in 2022, with over 40 brands in the report seeing collective growth of more than $29 billion.

The annual Top Global Licensors report collects global retail sales of licensed consumer products and experiences from the biggest global brands spanning sectors such as entertainment, sports, gaming, toys, corporate brands, fashion and apparel, among several other categories.

Entertainment continues to drive the highest revenue for the licensing industry with $111.1 billion generated from the top 5 global licensors alone. The Walt Disney Company showed the most substantial growth in 2022, with retail sales of licensed consumer products totaling an increase of $5.5 billion.

“The modern brand licensing model has evolved, innovated and thrived, despite global economic issues impacting consumer confidence and disrupting industries across all verticals,” says Ben Roberts, EMEA Content Director, License Global. “The results of the Top Global Licensors report show resounding market growth for 2022, as businesses seek to meet fans and consumers in new and interesting ways.”

Mattel reports the most significant growth over time, reporting an increase in sales of licensed consumer products growing from $2 billion in retail sales of licensed goods in 2019 to $8 billion in 2022. Case studies like Mattel’s brand extensions in support of its blockbuster film, “Barbie,” showcase how successful IP extension can translate to retail momentum.

The Leading 10 Top Global Licensors for 2023 are:

1. The Walt Disney Company – $61.7B

2. Dotdash Meredith – $31.5B

3. Authentic Brands Group – $24.1B

4. Warner Bros. Discovery – $15.8B

5. The Pokémon Company International – $11.6B

6. Hasbro – $11.5B

7. NBC Universal/Universal Products & Experiences – $10.5B

8. Mattel – $8B

9. Bluestar Alliance – $7.5B

10. WHP Global – $6.75B

New companies to the 2023 Top Global Licensor’s report include Jazwares, Zag, Scholl’s Wellness Company, Just Born Quality Confections, Toikido, Fleischer Studios, AC Milan, B. Duck, Cardio Bunny and Duke Kahanamoku, among others.

In addition to company disclosed financials, License Global predicts the future of the industry in its Brandscape report, which uses survey data to forecast trends for 2024 and beyond. Fashion was significantly highlighted by 60% of respondents as the most important area in which to grow engagement, create impact and build awareness through brand-on-brand collaborations. 62% also indicated Fashion as a core category of focus when working with licensees in 2024.

“The top 10 Global Licensors alone equate to a combined average growth of 19% year-over-year, showcasing the expanding opportunities and continuing trajectory of the licensed consumer product market and shopper appetite for brand extensions at retail,” states Amanda Cioletti, Vice President of Content and Strategy for Informa Markets’ Global Licensing Group, which includes the License Global media brand, as well as Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe and the Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit. “The industry is thriving, and the data shown in the report validates the excellence and strength that the business strategy of licensing offers brand owners, product manufacturers and retailers. No matter what the economy looks like, people will gravitate to trusted brands and franchises they love. Licensing offers a proven road to consumer sell-through.”

To download the complete Top Global Licensors Report 2023, please visit: www.licenseglobal.com.

About License Global
License Global, a part of the Global Licensing Group, is the leading publication for the brand licensing industry, delivering award-winning editorial content, including news, trends, analysis and special reports Information Classification: General about the global consumer product and retail marketplace. Through its magazine, website, daily enewsletter, webinars, videos 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 Summit.

About Global Licensing Group   
The Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets, a subsidiary of Informa plc (LON:INF), 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 Summit and License Global. Global Licensing Group events are sponsored by Licensing International.

Media Contact
Tiffany Kayar
Director of Public Relations
Informa Markets Licensing PR
licensingpr@informa.com