UNIVERSAL CITY, CA, June 19, 2014—Universal Partnerships & Licensing (UP&L) is broadening its oversight to include consumer products for the NBC network and Sprout globally.  Led by UP&L President Stephanie Sperber, the division currently oversees worldwide consumer products, digital games licensing, retail and film promotions for Universal Pictures.  The expansion of Sperber’s role reflects an effort to centralize consumer products and licensing efforts across NBCUniversal and leverage the organization to take advantage of the increased business brought on by the recent success of their Despicable Me 2 licensing and gaming programs.  The announcement was made today by Universal Filmed Entertainment Chairman Jeff Shell.
“Stephanie and her team have done a terrific job of maximizing opportunities for Universal brands,” said Shell. “Unifying our consumer products efforts under UP&L will bring scale and impact with licensees and retailers to benefit all of our film and TV properties.”
In addition to its slate of Universal films and library titles, UP&L will now be responsible for licensing and consumer products opportunities for NBC properties such as The Biggest Loser, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and the new program line-up.  The team will also manage all consumer products and licensing efforts for Sprout, now fully-owned by NBCUniversal.  Leveraging their strength in the children’s business, developed through their work with Illumination Entertainment, UP&L will focus on the growth of Sprout’s consumer products brand as the channel unveils its new, original children’s programming, and expands the reach of its beloved brand icon, Chica.
“Integrating Sprout and NBC Entertainment content with our Universal film slate and library titles provides broad and compelling content to licensees around the world,” said Sperber.  “I look forward to strategically developing both traditional consumer products and multi-platform digital gaming opportunities with our partners and with retail.”
Under Sperber’s leadership in 2009, Universal created UP&L to integrate and enhance the studio’s promotional partnership efforts and consumer products programs by combining those divisions under one roof.   Sperber and her team have built the division into an industry leader having made deals and partnerships stemming from Universal’s vast film library which includes the Fast & Furious series, Jurassic Park franchise and Illumination Entertainment’s Despicable Me franchise, to name a few.
UP&L is currently focused on Universal’s 2015 slate, which includes huge properties such as Pitch Perfect 2, Fast & Furious 7, the next chapter in the Jurassic Park film series Jurassic World and the spinoff of the highly successful Despicable Me series, Minions.  Global branded play leader Hasbro has already signed on as the worldwide master toy licensee on the Jurassic World, renewing the partnership that the companies have had since the original film in 1993.  Frequent collaborator Thinkway Toys will also return as the global master toy licensee for Minions along with other key partners including Hasbro and Hybrid JEM.
About Universal Partnerships & Licensing
Universal Partnerships & Licensing (UP&L) oversees NBCUniversal’s consumer product licensing, film, home entertainment and television promotions, and corporate alliances for Universal’s theatrical, home entertainment, television, theme parks and stage productions. This dedicated division is also responsible for monetizing the company’s vast library of films and characters through licensing, branding and marketing opportunities.  UP&L is part of NBCUniversal.  NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.
Contact:
Kori Bernards
Senior Vice President, Global Communications
Universal Pictures
818.777.7216
Kori.Bernards@nbcuni.com
Nicole Westmore
Manager, Global Communications
Universal Pictures
818.777.3462
Nicole.Westmore@nbcuni.com

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