Tag Archives: Crunchyroll

Toei Animation’s Dragon Ball hits record high for franchise licensing deals

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Anime pioneer and industry-leading studio Toei Animation Inc., together with U.S. agent Crunchyroll, has released the latest Dragon Ball franchise report.

This annual report provides a comprehensive look at the success of their collective Dragon Ball licensing efforts, details both new license agreements and license renewals, and spotlights key licensee partnerships in select product categories.

Over the last 14 months, Toei Animation and Crunchyroll executed a record high total of 37 license agreements – consisting of 18 new licenses and 19 license renewals. The 18 new agreements will result in an exciting variety of merchandise for fans of “Dragon Ball,” “Dragon Ball Z”  and “Dragon Ball Super” series as well as, for the first time ever, “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero,” the new feature film scheduled for release this summer.

New branded goods include apparel from Bioworld, Hypland and NTD, statues and games from Oniri Creations and Mattel, plushies from Youtooz, housewares from Just Funky, stationery from Trends International and Insight Editions, and gifts and novelties from Monogram International and Hallmark.

The 19 license renewals provide agreement extensions for “Dragon Ball,” “Dragon Ball Z,” Dragon Ball GT” and “Dragon Ball Super” with a long list of current licensees including Party City, FIGPIN Collect Awesome, Boston America, Uncanny Brands, Bioworld and Trends International.

Apparel and accessories were once again top categories for the franchise. While demand for mass market apparel continues to be strong, streetwear has now become the hot consumer apparel segment – a trend that began in 2018 with Primitive Skateboarding’s highly successful “Primitive X Dragon Ball Z” collection and subsequent second collection “Primitive X Dragon Ball Super” in early 2021.

Closing out 2021, in December, DJ Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak fashion lifestyle brand followed suit with “Dim Mak X Dragon Ball Z,” a limited edition streetwear collection that included t-shirts, hoodies, bomber jackets, hats and tote bags. And now Los Angeles-based streetwear brand Hypland joins this list with a ground-breaking collection showcasing “Dragon Ball,” “Dragon Ball Z” and “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero” and featuring a mix of apparel and merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, outwear, skateboards, tapestries and bags.

Beyond apparel, in late 2021, FILA launched “Dragon Ball Super X FILA,” a limited footwear collection featuring seven character-inspired styles – a first for the “Dragon Ball Super” series and only the second footwear collection ever for the Dragon Ball franchise.

Created by Akira Toriyama and produced by Toei Animation, the Dragon Ball anime franchise is based on the “Dragon Ball” manga launched in 1984 and encompasses four TV series (“Dragon Ball,” “Dragon Ball Z,” “Dragon Ball GT” and “Dragon Ball Super”), 21 feature films (including the soon-to-be-released “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero”), home video, video games, and an ever-expanding catalogue of licensed merchandise ranging from apparel, accessories, toys, novelties, furniture, housewares and more.

Now, 37 years since the original manga’s launch, Dragon Ball has become an iconic brand with mainstream appeal. In recent years, Dragon Ball’s brand awareness and consumer demand has intensified as a result of major franchise initiatives like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

In March, Dragon Ball franchise series “Dragon Ball,” “Dragon Ball Z” and “Dragon Ball GT” became available on Crunchyroll’s streaming service for the first time.

The list of new licensing agreements includes:

  • Bioworld: Global manufacturer of licensed apparel and accessories for a collection of apparel and fashion accessories based on “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero”, including t-shirts, fashion cut-and-sew tops, bottoms, leggings, sleepwear, vests, jackets, joggers, headwear, bags and accessories.
  • Dim Mak: DJ Steve Aoki’s fashion lifestyle brand for a limited edition collection of apparel based on “Dragon Ball Z” including t-shirts, long sleeve t-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, fleece bottoms, crew neck sweatshirts, denim, bomber jackets, hats and tote bags.
  • FILA: Global apparel and footwear manufacturer for a limited-edition collection of footwear based on “Dragon Ball Super.”
  • Hallmark Ornaments: Leading manufacturer of keepsake ornaments for a collection of ornaments based on “Dragon Ball Z.”
  • Hypland: Leading manufacturer of streetwear fashion and accessories for three collections of apparel and merchandise based on “Dragon Ball,” “Dragon Ball Z” and “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero” including t-shirts, shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, outerwear, pants, shorts, bags, headwear, rugs, blankets, skateboards, inflatables, and keychains.
  • Insight Editions: Bestselling publisher of books and unique licensed products for a collection of merchandise based on “Dragon Ball Z”, including advent calendars, notebooks, journals, notecards, stationery and stationery sets.
  • Just Funky: Premiere manufacturer of licensed and private label merchandise for a collection of drinkware and homewares based on “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.”
  • Mattel: Leading global toy and entertainment company for a special edition UNO deck based on “Dragon Ball Z.”
  • Monogram International: Leading manufacturer of licensed giftware, toys, collectibles and souvenirs for a collection of merchandise based on “Dragon Ball Super”, including figural banks, 3D foam keychains, bag clips and magnets, pewter and novelty key rings, lanyards and enamel pins.
  • NTD Apparel: Canadian manufacturer of retail apparel for a collection of apparel based on “Dragon Ball Z”, including dresses, swimwear, sleepwear, underwear, athletic wear, outerwear and facewear.
  • Oniri Creations: French designer and manufacturer of collector’s statues for two collections of quarter-scale resin statues based on “Dragon Ball Z” and “Dragon Ball.”
  • RhinoShield: Manufacturer of ultra-impact protective accessories for two collections of consumer electronic cases based on “Dragon Ball Super” and “Dragon Ball Z.”
  • Surreal Entertainment: Leading manufacturer of fan-driven licensed merchandise for a collection of PAL-O pillows and candy based on “Dragon Ball Z.”
  • Trends International: Leading supplier of licensed posters, calendars, stickers and social stationary products for a collection of merchandise based on “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero”, including posters, calendars, bookmarks, mobile wallets, writing instruments and decals.
  • Youtooz: Manufacturer of high-quality collectibles for a collection of plush figures based on “Dragon Ball Z.”
  • Y.H.B Biotech: Taiwanese beverage manufacturer for a collection of sodas based on “Dragon Ball Super.”

 

Sony’s Funimation completes $1.175bn acquisition of anime platform Crunchyroll

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The Sony owned Funimation Global Group has completed its acquisition of the anime platform, Crunchyroll from AT&T in a deal that closed out at $1.175bn.

Finalising a deal that was first detailed in December 2020, it now sees the Crunchyroll business welcomed into the Funimation fold – a partnership made up of Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment Japan.

The deal – valued at $1.175bn – arrives in recognition of the pace at which the popularity of anime is growing among audiences the world over.

“The alignment of Crunchyroll and Funimation will enable us to get even closer to the creators and fans who are the heart of the anime community,” said Kenichiro Yoshida, chairman, president, and chief executive officer, Sony Group Corporation.

“We look forward to delivering even more outstanding entertainment that fills the world with emotion through anime.”

Crunchyroll is an anime direct to consumer service that boasts more than five million SVOD (streaming video on demand) subscribers, offering mobile games, manga, events merchandise and distribution to over 120 million users worldwide.

“Crunchyroll adds tremendous value to SOny’s existing anime business, including Funimation and our terrific partners at Aniplex and Sony Mucis Entertainment Japan,” said Tony Vinciquerra, chairman and chief executive officer, Sony Pictures Entertainment.

“With Crunchyroll and Funimation, we are committed to creating the ultimate anime experience for fans and presenting a unique opportunity for our key partners, publishers, and the immensely talented creators to continue to deliver their masterful content to audiences around the world.

“With the addition of Crunchyroll, we have an unprecedented opportunity to serve anime fans like never before and deliver the anime experience across any platform they choose, from theatrical, events, home entertainment, games, streaming, linear TV – everywhere and every way fans want to experience their anime.

“Our goal is to create a unified anime subscription experience as soon as possible.”

Gucci to launch special collection based on hit anime series Bananya in Crunchyroll partnership

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The global anime streaming brand, Crunchyroll has landed a new fashion collaboration with Gucci to launch a selection of special items featuring characters from the original Japanese anime series, Banyana. The anime follows the lives of a cast of tiny cats who live in bananas.

The special items created by Gucci include seven womenswear items – four G Loved base short-sleeve cotton t-shirts and three felted cotton sweatshirts, that are adorned with the playful Bananya characters.

The sunlight sweatshirt and short-sleeve t-shirt display the Bananya Bunch, the three younger siblings of Bananya. Tabby Bananya is featured with Bananya on a sugar pink hoodie and two short-sleeve t-shirts, which come in timeless black and lemonade colour options. The carefree and optimistic Bananya is featured on a sugar pink short-sleeve t-shirt and a mint green sweatshirt.

For women, there are two styles of trainers and a pair of slides that are all adorned with Bananya and Tabby Bananya. On the trainers, for both women and men, the two cats sit in their banana atop the Gucci green-red-green Web stripe. Meanwhile in jewellery, there is a coloured crystal and fabric brooch with the trio of cats that make up the Bananya Bunch, and one with Bananya on his own. A chain necklace in metal with gold finish featuring Bananya as a pendant fashioned out of crystals and enamel also features.

The Bananya series is produced by studio TMS Entertainment and both seasons can currently be streamed on Crunchyroll worldwide, outside of Asia.

Crunchyroll is a leading anime brand with more than four million subscribers and over 100 million registered users. The brand offers an anime library of more than 1000 titles and 30,000 episodes to more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.

Global demand for anime ‘shows no signs of slowing’ as Crunchyroll details international licensing deals

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The global anime brand has detailed a full slate of new licensing partnerships across its library of anime series including Jujutsu Kaisen, Bananya, and the Crunchyroll Original series, The God of High School, that sees it span multiple categories across multiple markets.

The roll out arrives in the midst of what Crunchyroll’s head of consumer products, John Leonhardt has described as a market with no signs of slowing down.

“Our latest roundup of deals demonstrates that there is an anime for every fan – from the adorable Bananya, to The Junji Ito Collection of spooky stories or the high-energy sports series Haikyu!! to the Shonen-Jump hit series Dr. STONE, just to name a few,” he said.

Crunchyroll’s European office has secured key deals with partnerships including Captain Tsubasa, My Hero Academia, One Punch Man, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and Great Teacher Onizuka, among others.

“Crunchyroll has been the world’s best home for anime for more than a decade and represents titles that can drive success to your category,” said Waell Oueslati, director of acquisitions and licensing EMEA at Crunchyroll. “We deliver strong merchandising programs for key IP in the year ahead.”

Among Crunchyroll’s latest round of international and domestic licensing partnerships, the firm has tapped Buffalo Games to develop puzzles and Japanime Games to develop board game titles for Bananya, while Black Clover has been signed to Japanime Games for board game, Trademark Productions for apparel, Traly Group for pins, and Tsume Art for figurines.

Burn the Witch was recently granted to Kitsune Statue for figures and statues, while Cardcaptor Sakura was signed by Fukuya USA for plush. Dr. STONE, meanwhile, was signed by Youtooz, Inc. for Figurines and Haikyu!! was granted to Trademark Products for apparel.

Elsewhere, Jujutsu Kaisen was recently granted to Trends International for posters, and to Zumiez for skateboards and accessories. In Europe, the official French manga publisher will produce a school diary.

Mobile Suit Gundam was granted to Loot Crate for the Mobile Suit Gundam Loot boxes, Princess Connect Re:Dive was recently launched as the newest title from Crunchyroll Games and was granted to Ripple Junction for apparel, and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime was offered to Trademark Products for apparel and Youtooz, Inc. for figurines.

The God of High School the action-packed Crunchyroll Original series animated by MAPPA was granted to GB eye for beverage, housewares and home decor, to Great Eastern Entertainment for apparel and accessories and to Youtooz, Inc. for figurines, while the Junji Ito Collection was recently granted to Pyramid International for stationery and home decor.

European specific deals have also been closed for Captain Tsubasa which is partnering with Rhinoshield for phone accessories, Barrado Toys for plushies for France and Spain, and with Funko for Pop! figures.

My Hero Academia will extend its current product range with Studio JG for stationery and accessories in Poland, Barrado Toys for plushies for France and Spain, Jacob Company for back to school accessories, Rhinoshield for phone accessories and Aymax for homeware for Benelux

One Punch Man was recently granted to Indiego Distribution for apparel in the UK, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is now in partnership with Bioworld for apparel, and Great Teacher Onizuka is now in partnership with Abysse for gift and collectibles.

Crunchyroll’s global consumer products team provide anime fans worldwide with the best in fashion, home goods, lifestyle and more, managing rights for more than 350 anime series for more than 100 licensees.

Crunchyroll serves more than 100 million registered users and four million subscribers in more than 200 countries and territories. Crunchyroll’s robust online community also includes more than 50 million followers across social media.

Sony to purchase anime entertainment powerhouse Crunchyroll for $1.175bn

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Sony Pictures Entertainment has reached an agreement with AT&T to purchase its Crunchyroll anime business – a direct-to-consumer service within the WarnerMedia segment – for a proposed $1.175bn.

Under the deal, Crunchyroll anime will fall under Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc and Sony Music Entertainment Inc’s Funimation Global Group, a giant on the anime scene.

Crunchyroll is recognised as a premier anime direct-to-consumer service within AT&T’s WarnerMedia segment with more than 3 million SVOD subscribers and growing. It currently serves 90 million registered users across more than 200 countries and territories offering AVOD, mobile games, manga, events merchandise and distribution.

The combination of Crunchyroll and Funimation will provides the opportunity for Sony to broaden distribution for its content partners and expand its offerings for consumers, while cementing itself as one of the largest global players in the anime scene.

“The Crunchyroll team has done an extraordinary job of not only growing the Crunchyroll brand but also building a passionate community of anime fans. Crunchyroll’s success is a direct result of the company’s culture and commitment to their fans,” said Tony Goncalves, chief revenue officer, WarnerMedia.

“By combining with Funimation, they will continue to nurture a global community and bring more anime to more people. I’m incredibly proud of the Crunchyroll team and what they have been able to accomplish in the digital media space in such a short period of time. They’ve created an end-to-end global ecosystem for this incredible art form.”

Tony Vinciquerra, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, added: “We are proud to bring Crunchyroll into the Sony family. Through Funimation and our terrific partners at Aniplex and Sony Music Entertainment Japan, we have a deep understanding of this global artform and are well-positioned to deliver outstanding content to audiences around the world.

“Together with Crunchyroll, we will create the best possible experience for fans and greater opportunity for creators, producers and publishers in Japan and elsewhere.

“Funimation has been doing this for over 25 years and we look forward to continuing to leverage the power of creativity and technology to succeed in this rapidly growing segment of entertainment.”

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Crunchyroll details major licensing slate ahead of the autumn anime season

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The global anime brand, Crunchyroll, has detailed a slate of cross-category licensing partnerships ahead of the autumn anime season, highlighting not only the diversity of the anime medium, but the global reach of the animation form.

“This latest slate of licensing partnerships represents the diversity of anime as a medium, from the spooky stylings of Jujutsu Kaisen and the Junji Ito Collection, to the eternally cute Bananya,” said John Leonhardt, head of consumer products at Crunchyroll.

“Crunchyroll represents anime titles that can drive success to your category.”

The latest licensing line-up sees Bananya – the kitten who lives in a banana – move into the board games sector with Japanime Games, books with Running Press, mugs with Wild Bill’s Soda, and novelties and pins with Just Funky.

Meanwhile, Black Clover, the long running Shonen action series, was recently signed to Hypland for fashion, Japanime Games for board games and Taka for figures, while Dr. Stone, the scientific action series based on the popular Shonen Jump manga of the same name, is coming back for season two in January 2021 and was signed by Wild Bill’s Soda for mugs.

Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma, the culinary competition series, was recently granted to Espada Arts for figures, Mobile Suit Gundam, the iconic anime series that recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, was granted to FiGPiN for pins and Just Funky for novelties and gifts, and Haikyu the beloved volleyball series, was recently granted to Hypland and Good Smile company for fashion and apparel.

Elsewhere, Jujutsu Kaisen the hit Shonen Jump title streaming exclusively on Crunchyroll, was granted to Bioworld for apparel and Great Eastern Entertainment for accessories and home goods. the Junji Ito Collection was recently granted to Ground Up International for footwear, Hypland for fashion and to Wild Bill’s Soda for mugs, and Kuroko’s Basketball was recently signed to Hypland for fashion.

Completing the raft of signings and Mob Psycho 100 was granted to Team Liquid, the world renowned professional gaming organization, and Good Smile Company for apparel, and  Espada Arts for figures, while finally the Good Smile Company was granted licenses to create apparel for both Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime.

Crunchyroll’s consumer products team provides global anime fans with the best in lifestyle, home goods, fashion and more, managing all-rights for more than 350 anime series for more than 100 global licensees. It also operates the direct to consumer Crunchyroll Store, which is the exclusive home of Crunchyroll Loves, the brand’s in house streetwear label.

Crunchyroll, the global streaming brand from WarnerMedia, serves more than 70 million registered users and 3 million subscribers in more than 200 countries and territories. Crunchyroll’s robust online community also includes more than 40 million followers across social media.

And the West will follow: Life and licensing for Crunchyroll at the forefront of the anime explosion

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Leading the charge of an estimated $20bn anime market is a rather pretty place to be sitting at the best of times, but with this value only expected to grow as the popularity of the Japanese art form continues to sweep across audiences to the West, it’s undoubtedly a large grin that spreads across the faces at Crunchyroll right now.

With the largest community of fans – that’s more than 70 million registered users – and 3 million paying subscribers on the books, Crunchyroll is well and truly at the forefront of the anime and manga popularity explosion. Not only does it boast the world’s largest collection of anime, including more than 1,000 titles and 30,000 episodes, but it is engineering further growth across the market with development in the distribution, events, and licensed games channels, too.

John Leonhardt, head of consumer products at Crunchyroll

The plan, according to John Leonhardt, head of consumer products at Crunchyroll, as he speaks exclusively with Licensing.biz, is now to “elevate anime into an extraordinary lifestyle,” and doing so by licensing it in to theatrical, TV, consumer products, and video game markets – jumping on the opportunity that has seen the pop culture genre become an international sensation over recent years.

“Anime continues to grow in popularity all over the world,” Leonhardt tells Licensing.biz. “We see anime’s evolution from an exclusively Japanese category to a worldwide sensation as one of the most fascinating case studies in modern branding history, and a testament to the power of anime’s ability to tell rich, captivating stories.”

It’s certainly helped the genre’s cause that the last decade has seen the geek culture shake off its stigma to become fully embraced by the mainstream today. Among its globally-spanning audience, high profile names including John Boyega, Michael B Jordan, Megan Thee Stallion and even the wrestler Xavier Woods have outed themselves as celebrity fans of the medium. 

And yet, there is still room for anime to grow.

“We recognise that adult dramatic animation is still in its infancy here in the West,” continues Leonhardt. “Anime is so much more than one genre – it’s a storytelling medium that crosses many genres, including sci-fi, sports, thriller, adventure, action, romance, and more.”

Having been recognised as ‘the world’s best home for anime’ for over ten years now, Crunchyroll recently crossed a major milestone when it landed its 70 millionth registered user and three millionth subscriber; a demonstration, it says, that “the growth of anime shows no signs of slowing down.”

Part of WarnerMedia and having acquired Viz Media Group only last year, Crunchyroll has not only expanded its suite of brands and capabilities in a very short time, but has also become a world leader of the anime medium, with roots embedded in markets across the globe. That’s not bad for a company that started out life as a content sharing platform based in San Francisco some 14 years ago.

In the coming year, Crunchyroll is expecting to see its diverse slate of anime series, as well as its continued collaboration with the European arm, Crunchyroll SAS, to drive significant growth for the overarching company. In Europe alone, Crunchyroll SAS has plans to deliver merchandising programmes for key IP in library, including My Hero Academia and Captain Tsubasa, focusing on publishing, apparel, figures, toys, stationery, back to school, accessories, homeware, and health and beauty.

“Crunchyroll SAS will also tap into the broader EMEA network of partners across live events, gaming and more to enhance a fast-growing licensing plan and a strong retail presence supported by marketing activations across Europe,” says Leonhardt.

2020 may have served up its fair share of challenges for all to handle, but Crunchyroll has remained resolute in its mission to deliver anime to the global community, even when it meant transforming its Crunchyroll Expo into the first-ever Virtual event. On top of that, the firm has secured distribution partnerships with Cartoon Network in LATAM and TNT Comedy in Germany, while Crunchyroll Games has made its library of anime-inspired games available to the international audience.

“We put our fans first,” continues Leonhardt. “Being everything for someone and making sure we deliver the best of anime to them is what makes us successful.

“The licensing business is being driven by product and experiences, the pandemic has seriously disrupted some of the planned strategies for 2020/2021, leaving licensing and retail businesses particularly exposed.

“This disruption pushes us and our partners to explore a number of new creative options to enable the same experiences online or virtually. This change was actually predictable and already going on, but let’s say that the world situation we’re all facing today has accelerated the process of finding ways to keep our community in.”

It’s that community, that 70 million worldwide, Leonhardt understands, is what is at the heart of the anime boom right now. A fervent collective of fans, all of whom are looking for means to express their fandom. This is what Crunchyroll is servicing today.

“In addition to a deep library of titles, Crunchyroll has a passionate global community that love to wear their fandom as a badge of honour,” says Leonhardt. 

“Between the new content coming to the platform, Crunchyroll’s increasingly global presence in the anime industry overall, and Crunchyroll’s continued commitment to building out 360-experiences for the anime community with consumer products, live and virtual events, games, and more, the future looks bright for the year ahead,” he concludes.

Banijay, Sanrio, and Diageo make up final keynotes for Festival of Licensing Live Stage

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Festival of Licensing has revealed the final three keynotes to take its Live Stage – this year sponsored by Crunchyroll – as it welcomes Banijay, Sanrio, and Diageo to the fold. The three firms will take up the European, Asian, and Americas keynotes respectively.

Banijay recently became the world’s largest international content producer and distributor, following its recent acquisition of Endemol Shine Group, Sanrio is a global lifestyle brand best known for it pop icons like Hello Kitty, and Diageo is a powerhouse behind beverage, spirit, and beer brands such as Johnnie Walker, Baileys, Guinness, Captain Morgan, and more.

The three latest additions joins a roster that already boasts the likes of Smiley, Alibaba, and Authentic Brands Group among others.

A month-long virtual celebration of the global licensing industry running from October 6 to 29th, Festival of Licensing incorporates three regional events linked to the world’s biggest markets – Europe, Asia and the Americas – and culminates with the global C-suite and executive-level virtual conference, Licensing Leadership Summit. 

The live presentations will take place as follows: 

  • Europe Keynote – Powered by Brand Licensing Europe on Thursday, 8 October, 9am BST:

The Role of Licensing in Building Global Brands
Speakers: Jane Smith, Group Director Brand Licensing and Gaming, Banijay/Endemol Shine

  • Asia Keynote – Powered by Licensing Expo China and Licensing Expo Japan on Thursday, 15thOctober, 2pm CST 

Small Gift, Big Smile: Evolving a Global Heritage Brand While Maintaining Core Values
Speaker: Linh Forse, Senior Director, Sales and Business Development, Sanrio Inc.

  • Americas Keynote – Powered by Licensing Expo on Thursday, 22ndOctober, 9am PST 

How Diageo Leverages Licensing to Fuel Growth in an Ever-changing Marketplace 

Speakers: Declan Hassett, Senior Licensing Manager, Diageo, and Shane Grogan, Senior Licensing Manager, Diageo

“Banijay, Sanrio and Diageo are huge brands and home to some of the world’s most creative and successful licensing programmes, which have – unsurprisingly – captured the hearts and loyalty of their fans and consumers. We are delighted to have them join us on the Festival of Licensing Live Stage next month,” said Anna Knight, vice president of licensing, Informa Markets.  

“Crunchyroll has been the world’s best home for anime for over 10 years and is also an established licensor and distributor worldwide, so it made perfect sense for us to partner with Festival of Licensing as the Live Stage sponsor and we’re really looking forward to enjoying the programme, along with thousands of other visitors across Europe, Asia and the Americas,” added Waell Oueslati, director of acquisitions and licensing at Crunchyroll SAS (EMEA).

Meanwhile, ViacomCBS Consumer Products, which is sponsoring the Festival of Licensing Community & Wellbeing Programme, has also added fresh details to its well-being workshop content, which is available to view, download and start grooving to from Tuesday, 6 October at 7am BST.

Community & Wellbeing Programme:

  • GET UP AND MOVE WITH NICK JR

Take a break from the day and invite your kids to join as your favourite Nick Jr. friends guide you through family friendly dance moves, yoga poses and stretching exercises.

  • BIKINI BOTTOM YOGA

Take a trip to Bikini Bottom for a SpongeBob-themed yoga class. Hosted by yoga enthusiast Adanna Paul, viewers will experience a calming yoga practice, set to tropical music and ocean sounds, providing a healthy break to stretch and relax.

  • RETRO MTV WORKOUT

Get up and move in between business sessions with fitness influencer Sydney Cummings, who will lead viewers through an MTV-themed workout. Don’t worry about skill level, there are options and modifications for everyone! 

Festival of Licensing is organised and produced by the Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets.

Visitors can register for free at www.festivaloflicensing.com. 

Hasbro, Chupa Chups, and Crunchyroll among latest to present on the Festival of Licensing Stage

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Hasbro, eOne, Chupa Chups, and Crunchyroll are just some of the latest global brands to be confirmed to present on the Festival of Licensing Stage during the virtual event’s opening week this October 6th to 8th, marking the latest additions to the European leg powered by Brand Licensing Europe.

Almost 50 live keynotes, presentations and on-demand sessions have been confirmed to date for Festival of Licensing, the month-long virtual celebration of the global licensing industry running from October 6th to 29th, incorporating three regional events for Europe, Asia and the Americas, and culminating with the global C-suite and executive-level virtual conference, Licensing Leadership Summit.

Newly announced for the Live Stage, sponsored by Crunchyroll:

  • Tuesday 6 October, 12.40pm BST: Senior executives from Hasbro + eOne, including Global Consumer Products General Manager and Senior Vice President Casey Collins, will present Fuelling Franchises Together.

  • Tuesday 6 October, 3pm BST: Creative agency Tela Italia, WildBrain CPLG Lifestyle and Perfetti Van Melle will join forces for Chupa Chups: The Secret to Keeping Art Stories Sweet to look into the creative energy behind Chupa Chups’ licensing success, and the importance of design as a tool for reinforcing brand relevance and uniqueness.

  • Wednesday 7 October, 3pm BST: Anime: The Inescapable Hit of Licensing – Powered by Crunchyroll will show how anime licenses are powerful, audience-driving brands that offer sustainability in a crowded market. Crunchyroll speakers include Joellen Ferrer, vice president, global communications and corporate marketing; Terry Li, head of 360 and general manager, games; John Leonhardt, head of consumer products; John Easum, head of EMEA; and Waell Oueslati, director of acquisitions and licensing, EMEA.

Newly announced content available to view on-demand from October 6:

Yasuo Miyakawa, who has the enviable title of chief Pac-Man officer and CEO of Bandai Namco Entertainment, presents: Nurturing a legend: 40 Years of PAC-MAN.

  • Hussein Khalid, director of the information technology department, Sanrio, and Greg Holtzman, marketing director, Brainbase, are collaborating for Why Sanrio Partnered with Brainbase to Streamline their Global Licensing Business.

Newly announced content available to view on demand from October 20:

  • Executives from Jazwares, Extreme Concepts, IHL Apparel Group, Best Accessory Group and The Brand Liaison take a broad look at the licensing landscape and unique business terms in light of COVID-19 in their What do Licensees Want? Session.

  • Stephen Glockenmeier, vice president, marketing, corporate brand licensing and consumer channels, American Red Cross, and Stu Seltzer, president, The Seltzer Licensing Group investigate charity brand licensing and the importance of brand purpose to consumers with a deep dive case study in to licensing the Red Cross.

  • Sesame Workshop is mobilising quickly to respond to the pandemic, racial injustice and current events to support the needs of young children and their families, adjusting continually as 2020 evolves. In the talk, Orchestrating Speed-to-Market: How to Make Everything Hum in Concert, Gabriela Arenas, vice president, licensing, North America, Sesame Workshop, will discuss how the non-profit is pivoting its speed-to-market approach to provide Sesame Street resources during these challenging times.

A series of sessions curated by industry trade association and Festival of Licensing partner Licensing International will also be available to view on-demand during all three regional weeks, including the:

  • ‘What you Need to Know to do Business in …’ series

    15- to 20-minute on-demand sessions covering information on market size, local licensing and retail trends, business practices and much more for France, Russia, Germany, China, Japan, India, Brazil and Mexico.

  • ‘Basics of Licensing’ series

    Licensing 101 on-demand sessions available to view in local languages: French, Russian, German, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese and English.

“We are so excited to have such incredible brands, campaigns, products and individuals on the Festival of Licensing content program. The depth and breadth of topics being covered in-region and being made available globally is just phenomenal. What’s more, we still have three hugely inspirational keynote speakers to announce,” said Anna Knight, vice president, Licensing, Informa Markets.

Crunchyroll and Adult Swim partner for anime series based on SEGA video game franchise Shenmue

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It’s been a busy weekend for the global anime brand Crunchyroll who spent the past two days rolling out a roster of new announcements and partnerships as part of its Virtual Crunchyroll Expo, including the renewal of its partnership with Adult Swim for the production of the original anime series Shenmue, based on the SEGA video game franchise.

The year’s expo was the first time Crunchyroll had brought the annual offering to the digital space, taking the opportunity to detail a slate of new partnerships, that also included a new deal with Loot Crate, a home video partnership with Sentai Filmworks, and news of the return of Dr Stone to Crunchyroll.

Leading the announcements, the anime brand will once again partner with Adult Swim for the production of Shenmue. The new anime series will stream worldwide outside of Japan and mainland China on Crunchyroll and will air on Adult Swim’s Toonami in the US.

“The first Shenmue video game was released more than 20 years ago and we’re so excited to be working again with Adult Swim to bring this franchise to life through anime,” said Sarah Victor, head of development, Crunchyroll. “We’re eager to show our fans more of this action-packed adventure series as we move through production.”

Shenmue is an anime series with 13 episodes, following the journey of Ryo Hazuki. After he witnesses his father’s murder at the family dojo, Ryo dedicates his life to finding the man responsible – a mission that takes him from the streets of Yokosuka, Japan to the sprawling metropolis of Hong Kong, and beyond. Soon he’ll learn that larger, mystical forces are at play as he trains to become the ultimate martial artist in his quest for revenge.

“The world of Shenmue is fascinating and unique, and we are so excited to partner with Yu Suzuki to bring his epic creation to anime- and make a kick-ass martial arts epic,” said Jason DeMarco, svp/creative director on-air for Adult Swim.

Shenmue, a Crunchyroll and Adult Swim Production, is being directed by Sakurai Chikara (season two of One Punch Man, Naruto) with animation production by Telecom Animation Film, and production management provided by Sola Entertainment.

Video game creator Yu Suzuki is also onboard as an executive producer.

Meanwhile, Crunchyroll and Loot Crate revealed more details behind the partnership to bring fans more from their favourite anime series. Crunchyroll is curating two different crates with Loot Crate: the Crunchyroll Crate and the Limited Edition Mobile Suit Gundam Life Crate.

The monthly Crunchyroll crate will include items from a lineup of anime titles, including the upcoming Crunchyroll Original series Noblesse, alongside fan-favorites Mob Psycho 100, Welcome to Demon School Iruma-Kun, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, alongside the brand’s beloved mascot Crunchyroll-Hime.

Also detailed was Crunchyroll’s new home video and electronic sell-through partnership with Sentai Filmworks. The global supplier and distributor will handle four titles to kick off the partnership, including Food Wars! The Fourth Plate, Ascendance of a Bookworm, Granbelm, and World Trigger. These series will appear as a mix of subtitled and English-dubbed content.

“We are delighted to expand Crunchyroll’s partnership with Sentai, and look forward to working closely with them to bring even more anime to fans in the US and Canada,” said Alden Budill, head of global partnerships and content strategy, Crunchyroll.

“Since at least 2011, Sentai and Crunchyroll have collaborated to bring exciting content to anime fans in new and innovative ways,” added John Ledford, Sentai CEO. “Through this latest content partnership, Sentai is thrilled to empower fans to own their favorite Crunchyroll shows on select Blu-rays and our award-winning Premium Box Sets.”

Crunchyroll has a global community of more than 3 million subscribers and 70 million registered users that enjoy the world’s largest collection of anime, including more 1,000 titles and 30,000 episodes.