Nathan’s Famous Royalty Revenue Increases

Nathan’s Famous’ royalties for the fiscal year ended March 26 rose 2.8% to $17 million as licensee John Morrell & Co. continued to expand sales of its hot dogs in the grocery aisle, Nathan’s said in a 10K filed with the SEC. Morrell’s hot dog licensing agreement runs through 2032, with a $10 million minimum guarantee. The 10.8% royalties are paid monthly, according to the filing. The agreement with Morrell also covers foodservice, where royalties declined slightly to $1.35 million. Nathan’s has a separate pact with Saratoga Specialties for the spices that go into the hot dogs, revenues from which rose 2.1% to $870,000. Another agreement with Lamb Weston for Nathan’s frozen crinkle cut French fries generated $482,000 in royalties, up 6.6% from a year earlier. Nathan’s also renewed through Dec. 31, 2019 a deal with Inventure Foods for potato chips and other salty snacks, revenue from which was $49,000 in the year ended March 26. Nathan’s has 509 mostly-franchised locations, including 225 in the U.S. and 284 spread across 11 countries.

Contact:  Nathan’s Famous, Erik Gatoff, CEO, 516-338-8500

Brand Central Group Developing Own IP

Licensing agency Brand Central Group is moving to develop its own IP. It recently launched the faith-based Bible bbs children’s brand, co-developed with artists collective Friends of You, and signed a master toy agreement with Beverley Hills Teddy Bear Co. for plush and other products due this fall. It also landed deals with Brand Castle for ginger bread house kits that will ship late this year, and Brand Central President Ross Misher says it’s near an agreement with a major publisher for children’s books due in 2018.

The partners also are working with production companies to created Bible bbs-related content. “We saw this huge white space in the market where we felt there was nothing for faith-based families that was cute and relevant,” says Misher. He said that it seemed that everything available in the genre was “1970s cartoony dated content.” Bible bbs is the first of what Brand Central plans to be a portfolio of original IP, says Mishner. “If we see white space in the market and we don’t see a brand that fits it, we are going to develop it with partners,” says Misher.

Contact: Brand Central Group, Ross Misher, CEO, 310-268-1231, ross@brandcentralgroup.com; Brand Castle, Andrea Zeilinger, Co-Founder, 216-292-7700

Kardashian Pulling Back on Licensing

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian is pulling back on licensing in favor of developing and sourcing her own products. Kardashian, who has licensed products from mobile games to apparel for a decade, said at the recent Forbes Women’s Summit in New York that her new KKW makeup line will be the first of several products she is developing. A fragrance also is due this fall. “There’s nothing I would do now if I don’t have creative control,” she said according to the Los Angeles Times. “In the past, I found power in saying yes to so many things, whether it was tanning, shoes, cupcakes or fitness videos. In splitting royalties from licensing deals with her sisters, “I just thought, ‘We work so hard to be getting so little,’” Kardashian said “I really wanted to create a business on my own and I know that is a lot of hard work.”

Contact: United Talent Agency, Jonathan Perry, agent, 310-273-6700

Jinx Seeking to License Brand

Jinx, best known for its licensed videogame apparel, is trying to turn the tables. The company is seeking to license the Jinx brand into select apparel and accessory categories including footwear, says Jinx’s Tim Norris. “There are plans where a partner could add something that is complementary” to Jinx’s core apparel assortment of t-shirts, hoodies and bomber jackets, says Norris.

The move comes as the company tries to raise the profile of its Jinx and Jinx Pro brands, both of which are being deployed with eSports teams. “The question is when is retail going to be ready for an eSports-focused brand outside of some jerseys for specific teams,” says Norris. “We are ready for it and it will take a few years and the Jinx brand will be there driving hard into retail.”

Contact:  Jinx, Tim Norris, Chief Operating Officer, 858-602-1721, tim@jinx.com

’47 Expanding Fan Favorites Sub-Brand to Collegiate for Mass Market

’47 Brand is expanding the reach of its mass market Fan Favorites sub-brand in the collegiate ranks, signing an exclusive deal with the University of Alabama for headwear that starts in January 2018, says ‘47’s Steve Pierce. In doing so, ’47 is replacing Alabama’s previous supplier, Top of the World, which sold headwear under its Captivate sub-brand. The agreement is Fan Favorite’s first for collegiate mass retail headwear, although it does have agreements outside that distribution channel with Kansas State, Baylor, Mississippi State and North Carolina State. Fan Favorite also has licenses with Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League.

Contact:  ’47, Steve Pierce, Collegiate Business Mgr., 781-702-5543, spierce@47brands.com

Wild Turkey Brand Returning to Retail

The Wild Turkey brand is returning to apparel. Junk Food launched sales of the graphic t-shirts ($29) at the Gap and Urban Outfitters bearing the Wild Turkey logo, marking the brand’s return to apparel retailers after several years’ absence. Nordstrom also will be carrying Wild Turkey t-shirts later this summer, says Michael Carlisle of The Wildflower Group’s, which represents Gruppo Campari’s brands, including Wild Turkey. Both Junk Food and Ripple Junction are licensed for Wild Turkey apparel.

Contact:  The Wildflower Group, Michael Carlisle, Principal, 212-924-2322, michael@thewildflowergroup.com