License Global Recognizes Top Global Licensors of 2021
License Global, which has been documenting the leading retail licensors for more than 15 years, has released its 2022 report, looking at the top 88 licensors of the year 2021.
It was a year of continued recovery for global licensors, according to the company, reporting total revenues of $260.8 billion. Notably, 40 of the brand licensors brought in at least $1 billion at retail individually. The top 10 companies on License Global’s list are all showing signs of recovery.
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“Last year was a critical time for brands and retailers across all product categories as they reassessed how to support and engage with consumers amid year two of the pandemic,” said Amanda Cioletti, vice president of content and strategy at the Global Licensing Group, Informa Markets. “While challenges persist, a common — and very welcome — theme we saw woven throughout this year’s report is the unmistakable positive shift in tone as brands adapt and recover.”
Fashion was indicated as the leading brand category being held by licenses, followed by entertainment (including streaming and gaming) and lifestyle categories.
Cioletti said all of the returning and new brands featured in the report “played a significant role in driving retail revenue, showcasing the immense power of licensed consumer products and brand extension as proven methods to engage with consumers, amid even the most challenging of times.”
Leading the way, The Walt Disney Co. continued to hold the number-one spot with an estimated $56.2 billion — a $2.2 billion growth year-over-year. Dotdash Meredith also remained firmly in its second-place spot, with $35.9 billion in reported retail sales of licensed consumer products and a gain of $5.8 billion from 2020. Third place was held by Authentic Brands Group, followed by WarnerMedia/Warner Bros. Consumer Products, The Pokémon Company International, Hasbro, NBCUniversal/Universal Brand Development, Mattel, Bluestar Alliance and Paramount Global/Paramount Consumer Products and Experiences.
License Global’s entire list of 88 top licensors is noticeably up from the 75 listed in 2020 but still below previous lists that reached 150. As the industry continues to stabilize, the company said it will grow the list in tandem.
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