DGL Toys Readying NFL-Licensed Drones

The NFL is taking flight in the drone business. New NFL licensee DGL Toys will field mini-, micro and full-size 13-inch diameter drones in August using 10-12 NFL teams.  The initial line will consist of teams with top-selling merchandise, says DGL’s Hy Laniado. In addition to the drone, DGL also will have a NFL helmet-shaped coin bank that barks out football phrases when coins are added and a puzzle. DGL also has licenses for drones for Call of Duty, Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the videogame Fallout.

Contact: Hy Laniado, VP, 732-692-5189, hy@dgltoys.com

Imax Strikes VR Deal With Warner Bros.

Imax Corp. and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment have agreed to co-finance and produce three virtual reality (VR) “experiences” for the theater operator’s new VR centers. Imax, which opened the first of the VR centers in Los Angeles in January, will work with Warner Bros. in developing content based on Justice League, Aquaman and a third unnamed property, all of which will have an exclusive window at the VR centers before being made available to other platforms, Imax says. Justice League VR will be available late this year.

The VR centers also are slated to open in New York and Shanghai, China, inside AMC Entertainment and Regal Cinemas multiplexes. The LA facility features 14 “pods,” each equipped with HTC’s Vive VR headsets for content that so far has included Lionsgate’s John Wick and TriStar Picture’s The Walk.

The VR experiences run up to 15 minutes and are priced at $7-$10, depending on the content. Each pod also has a controller for the users who are equipped with a sensory vest so they can feel the rumble of special effects.

The pact follows Imax investing with Warner in Dreamscape Interactive, an LA-based startup focused on location-based VR. In addition, Imax created, along with Acer and Creative Artists Agency, a $50 million fund late last year to finance new games for VR headsets. The cost of converting a conventional theater to the VR format is $250,000-$400,000, Imax has said.

Contact: Imax Corp., Richard Gelmond, CEO, 905-403-4500, rgelmond@imax.com

Old Time Hockey Moving Under ’47 Brand

’47 is shifting the Old Time Hockey name to its own brand while keeping the vintage design for the NHL license, says ‘47’s Dave Zaleznick. The company gained the rights to Old Time Hockey in buying Old Time Sports, with plans to have the newly branded vintage caps and apparel in time for the start of the 2017-18space NHL season.

’47 will use Old Time Hockey’s Salisbury, MA screen-printing plant to produce both caps and t-shirts. Meanwhile, ’47 assumes the license for NFL structured fit caps in April, splitting the business with New Era. ’47 also is opening a new 4,900-square-foot distribution center in East Bridgewater, MA, adding capacity to supplement its existing facility in Brockton, MA.

Contact: ’47, Dave Zaleznick, NFL Brand Mgr.,781-702-2947, davez@47brand.com

Nerd Block To Launch Dr. Who Box

Nerd Block strikes an agreement with the BBC for a Dr. Who-based subscription box, marking the first time the service has offered a package based on a single entertainment property, a company spokeswoman said. The bi-monthly box, which will be available in the U.S, Canada and the UK at $49.99, will include exclusive and limited edition Dr. Who collectibles, wearable items, t-shirts and other products.

Nerd Block has a roster of 10 subscription boxes that are tied to themes, including horror, gaming and science fiction. The agreement also brings Nerd Block into more direct competition with Loot Crate, which has subscription boxes for Microsoft’s Halo, World Wrestling Entertainment, Major League Baseball and others.

Contact: Russ Montague, CEO-Founder, russ@nerdblock.com

Brand Central Representing Tropicana

Brand Central is representing Tropicana as PepsiCo seeks to bring the fruit juice brand into multiple licensed categories for the first time. PepsiCo, which has had an agreement with CH Robinson for Tropicana oranges for 15 years, is positioning the brand for “better-for-you products that play into the vitamins and nutrients available through juice including dried fruit, trail mix with fruit, snack bars and frozen juice pops, says Brand Central’s Janna Markel

Contact: Janna Markel, 502-738-0855, janna@brandcentralgroup.com

Executive Changes

Tara Sinclair, ex-Mad Engine, named Licensing Specialist at Netflix… Rebekah Belzer, ex-Brand Central, appointed VP North America Licensing and Sales at Centa IP… Jim Gianopulos, ex-20th Century Fox, named Paramount Pictures, replacing Brad Grey, who left in February