Toy World rounds up some of the key properties which we believe will be making waves in the kids’ space in 2023.

The top growing licences of 2022 came from a variety of platforms – movies, TV, computer games and streaming services – and covered the entire age range from Infant & Pre-school to Kidult.

Cinema made a welcome return, with the result that licensed merchandise related to movies represented around 40% of the overall licensed toy market and a whopping 82% of licensed toy growth (according to NPD). 2023 will see a host of major movies released, several of which should resonate from a toy perspective.

Boosting the core theatrical release, the success of some movie brands is also increasingly being enhanced by its appearance on other platforms.

Computer games continue to provide a rich source of content for toy companies looking for new licensed ranges. According to NPD, this segment grew by 16% in 2022, and is now worth double when compared to 2019 figures – and classic evergreen brands also continue to resonate across the ages.

Licensors told us which properties they are tipping for success in 2023 and why they enjoy working with these brands. Thanks to Rob Goodchild of Aardman, Marianne James of Hasbro, Natalie Harvey of Acamar, Matteo Corradi of Mondo TV, Thomas Merrington of Penguin Ventures, Gaby Dior of BBC Studios, Karen Mc Nally of Blue Zoo, Duncan Tate of Moonbug and Rob Glenny of Beano Studios.

Find out what they said, plus a round up of the top properties for 2023 in the full article, which appeared in the January edition of Toy World, here.