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Formula 1 (CAA Brand Management)
Formula 1’s licensed products have expanded authentically across numerous categories. Exploring innovative designs, mediums, and methods to create these exciting products, F1 has created items to service both core and new fans and deliver the luxury and distinctive feel of the F1 experience into the hands of consumers. These efforts include everything from collectibles to trendsetting apparel DTRs with H&M and Pacsun.
Head – Head Sport GmbH
The Head licensing program has been in the last 7 years continuously evolving and growing, not only from a financial standpoint but also from a global standpoint. The licensing program is truly international with partners all over the world. The licensing program (not only for the Head brand but for the group of brands including PENN, San Marco, Tyrolia, Zoggs, and Mares) contains over 70 licensees around the world. This is all managed by a strong and talented licensing division (four licensing managers, one VP) based in the little town of Kennelbach, in Austria. One of the highlights of 2022 was the launch of our Head brand stores and Head apparel collection in China with our partner HLA. The stores are growing constantly (currently five stores) and by the end of 2023 we will have 13 Head stores operating.
NFL Players Association
The NFL Players Association, through its licensing and marketing business NFL Players Inc., is one of the largest licensors in the world, representing the rights of more than 2,000 NFL players. Global licensing projects reached an all-time high and ninth consecutive year of growth. Trailblazing partnerships launched with DraftKings, NFL All Day, NFL Rivals, and NFL Pro Era further cementing the NFLPA as an innovative force in licensing. Its program broke ground with Draftea, the first licensed fantasy football product in Latin America, and the first licensed slot machine featuring NFL players. The NFLPA pushes for more diversity in licensing with the addition of Greentop Gifts and Signables to its Driven accelerator. There is nonstop momentum in the NFLPA licensing portfolio, which led to 12 new diverse-led partners, pushing its total to 24.
Starting Lineup – Fanatics
On September 22, 2022 Hasbro’s sports brand Starting Lineup bounced back into action after 22 years with a line of collectible action figures based on NBA athletes. Representing a major change from the original line, each highly-articulated action figure features premium design and detail, including official uniforms, accurate hair, and licensed footwear. Each six-inch figure comes with accessories, including an exclusive Panini NBA trading card, mini basketball, flight stand, and extra hands.
The effort required to bring the Starting Lineup sports brand to life involved over 10 separate agreements including licensing (NBA, NBPA, Wilson, Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, Panini), Components (Panini), Marketing (OneTeam, Ja Morant), and distribution (Fanatics). The September pre-order launch was accompanied by an incredible marketing campaign resulting in over 175 media placements, more than 2.1 million video views, and over 500 million media impressions.
U.S. POLO ASSN. – USPA GLOBAL LICENSING INC.
Throughout 2022, USPA Global Licensing Inc. (USPAGL) continued to grow the global U.S. Polo Assn. sport-inspired lifestyle brand through product and marketing innovations, digital, store expansions, and global partnerships.
U.S. Polo Assn. surpassed $2 billion in global retail sales in 190 countries through more than 1,100 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores, department and specialty stores, and eCommerce. The brand expanded into new countries and opened more than 100 new stores supported by more than 36 U.S. Polo Assn. brand sites, in 18 different languages, and 3.7 million social media followers.
The multi-billion-dollar brand’s authentic connection to the sport of polo, as the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), has been brought to life more than ever before with a year of outstanding partnerships, including the XII Federation of International (FIP) World Polo Championship hosted in the United States, which aired for the first time on ESPN.
UFC (IMG)
Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the UFC is a truly global sports brand with over 700 million fans, a year-round calendar of more than 40 events spanning the globe and arguably the youngest, most diverse fan demo in professional sports. UFC also has one of the most innovative and well-loved sports licensing programs, which saw a significant expansion in 2022, led by a renewal with the world’s leading MMA brand Venum and a top-selling video game by Electronic Arts.
Other key collaborations included Timex watches, Opro mouthguards, Panini trading cards, fitness training equipment with Dyaco, memorabilia with TMG, and NFT products with Socios, Dapper Labs, and DraftKings. In 2022, UFC also launched lifestyle DTRs with Berksha, Culture Kings, and Celio, and a three-way footwear collab with Under Armour and Dwayne Johnson’s Project Rock. Finally, in Q4, Korean powerhouse Shinhan opened the first three UFC-branded stores in Seoul.
Yale University (ASPIRE by WildBrain CPLG)
An iconic Ivy League institution with global appeal and over 300 years of history, the global licensing programme for Yale has grown from strength to strength. Yale licensed merchandise is an important part of the Yale mission, promoting the Yale brand throughout the world. Internationally, the focus has been to build the brand in the fashion and lifestyle space securing distribution at major fashion retailers globally both in-store and online programmes, with leading global and local fashion retailers including Inditex, H&M and Reliance Trends in India. Licensing continues to grow with best-in-class partners across EMEA, India, the U.S., and Asia delivering a strong and successful licensing programme. As one of the top Ivy League schools, Yale is both respected and recognized internationally and currently in demand for partners who want to capitalize on the collegiate trend and partner with a leading university.
