Top 150 Global Licensors Account for More Than $230 Billion in Retail Sales

LOS ANGELES, May 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- License! Global magazine (www.licensemag.com) has released its annual exclusive Top 150 Global Licensors report, which ranks the owners of intellectual property by annual retail sales. Licensors included on the list account for more than $230 billion of global retail sales of licensed merchandise in 2012, and provides sales data and trends for a broad spectrum of the world's most popular and recognizable brands.

This year's report, which is featured in License! Global's May issue, has increased to include 150 companies (up from 125 in 2012) to better reflect the growing prominence and sophistication of the brand licensing industry. Fifty-six of the companies profiled on the exclusive list report retail sales of $1 billion or more, with many new and high-profile brand businesses joining the list in 2013.

The top five Global Licensors, according to License! Global are:

• No. 1: Disney Consumer Products, which reported $39.3 billion on the strength of its brands such as Disney Princess, the Disney Junior portfolio of properties, as well as Marvel and its brands such as The Avengers and Lucasfilm's Star Wars.
• No. 2: Iconix Brand Group reported $13 billion in annual retail sales of licensed merchandise in 2012. Last year was a growth period for the company, as it acquired new brands including Umbro, Buffalo and Lee Cooper to round out its portfolio of 33 owned brands.
• No. 3: PVH reported $13 billion as it continues the global expansion of its growth brands Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, as well as its heritage brands Arrow, Izod, Van Heusen and G. H. Bass. PVH grew its annual sales by $3 billion, over 2011.
• No. 4: Meredith debuts on the Top 150 Global Licensors report, representing more than $11.2 billion in retail sales of licensed merchandise. Its key brands include Better Homes & Gardens, Parents, Mother's Day, More, Family Circle, AllRecipes.com and Eating Well, among others.
• No. 5: Mattel rounds out the Top 5 with $7 billion in retail sales, same as it reported for 2011. Its flagship brands, which include Barbie, Monster High, Hot Wheels and Fisher-Price, represent best-in-class partnerships.

"This comprehensive report reflects the popularity of licensed brands among consumers as well as among leading retailers worldwide," says Tony Lisanti, global editorial director, License! Global. "The report highlights trends for world's most popular brands in entertainment, fashion, sports and other industry sectors."

In addition to Meredith, new companies added to the list include Rovio, Ralph Lauren, Hershey, Blue Star Alliance, Authentic Brands, Activision, Sequential Brands, HIT Entertainment and Tommy Bahama, to name a few. These companies represent such well-known brands as Angry Birds, Kensi, Marilyn Monroe, Skylanders, Caribbean Joe and Thomas the Tank Engine.

Find the Top 150 Global Licensors list, as well as the May issue in its entirety, by visiting www.licensemag.com.

Many of these licensors will be exhibiting at the Licensing Expo (www.licensingexpo.com), the world's largest and most influential brand, character and licensing event, set to take place June 18-20 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev.

For more licensing industry news, visit www.licensemag.com, find it on Twitter (@licensemag), on Facebook or via LinkedIn.

About License! Global:
License! Global magazine, published by Advanstar Communications, is the leading news source of the licensing industry, delivering award-winning editorial content covering trends, analysis and special reports about the global brand licensing and retail marketplace. Through its print edition, website, and daily online e-newsletter, License! Global reaches a total monthly audience of almost 90,000. Founded in 1998, License! Global's readership is comprised of the world's leading retailers, licensors, licensees, manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors. License! Global is owned by Advanstar Communications.

Notes to editors:
About Licensing Expo
Licensing Expo (www.licensingexpo.com) is the licensing industry's largest annual event. A trade show for leveraging properties and brand equity to develop merchandise, Licensing Expo attracts more than 400 exhibitors representing more than 5,000 brands and properties in entertainment; sports; fashion and apparel; publishing; art and design; automotive; animation/anime; home and housewares; and lifestyle. Exhibitors include Fortune 500 consumer brands, film studios, publishing houses and other creative agencies. Attendees from more than 80 countries represent the world's leading retailers, licensees, manufacturers, distributors and licensing agents. Licensing Expo is owned and organized by Advanstar Communications, Inc., is sponsored by the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA), and is affiliated with License! Global magazine and Brand Licensing Europe.

About Advanstar Communications, Inc.
Advanstar Communications, Inc. (www.advanstar.com), producer of Licensing Expo and Brand Licensing Europe and owner of trade publication License! Global, is a leading worldwide media company providing integrated marketing solutions for fashion, life sciences and power sports industries. Advanstar serves business professionals and consumers in these industries with its portfolio of 147 events, 68 publications and directories, 267 electronic products and web sites, as well as educational and direct marketing products and services. Market leading brands and a commitment to delivering innovation, quality products and services enable Advanstar to "connect our customers with theirs." Advanstar has approximately 1,000 employees and currently operates from multiple offices in North America and Europe.

SOURCE Advanstar Communications, Inc.