With âStar Wars: The Force Awakensâ and âRogue One: A Star Wars Storyâ providing major impulses, global retail sales of licensed merchandise rose 4.4% to $ 262.9 billion. last year, according to Licensing Industry Merchandisers Assn.
The association released the report on Monday, a day before the launch of the three-day licensing exhibition at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.
The report did not reveal any specific contributions from Disney’s first two “Star Wars” films, but Marty Brochstein, senior vice president of industry relations and information for LIMA, said the Tenpoles film links have played a crucial role in boosting the overall numbers.
âYou had the first full year of ‘The Force Awakens,’ which Disney presented with an engaging combination of new and classic items,â Brochstein said. Variety. âThe ‘Rogue One’ merchandise attracted a slightly older population and performed very well. “
Disney made a major effort to launch âStar Wars: The Force Awakensâ merchandise in September 2015, with a âForce Fridayâ promotional event – three months before the film’s opening – featuring an 18-hour online marathon featuring YouTube stars opening up the toys online.
“The Force Awakens”, the first “Star Wars” movie in a decade, became the third-largest in the world with $ 2.07 billion at the box office. âRogue One,â which starred Felicity Jones, is the 22nd largest grossing player in the world with $ 1.056 billion.
âFinding Dory,â another title in the Disney franchise, was also a major contributor to the 2016 numbers, according to Brochstein. âDory,â which launched 13 years after the first âFinding Nemo,â grossed $ 1.029 billion at the global box office.
Brochstein also pointed to a pair of non-Disney titles as strong performers in the related merchandise: Warner Bros. ‘ âBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justiceâ with $ 873 million at the global box office; and Fox / DreamWorks “Trolls” with $ 344 million in worldwide ticket revenue.
âBatman v Superman,â was seen as a minor disappointment for the studio for not hitting the billion dollar mark, but Brochstein said related merchandise retail sales were strong. âBoth characters have a long history with consumers, so cinematic merchandise is natural in retail,â he added.
âTrolls,â based on the Danish Dam product line, will have a sequel in 2020. âEvery year there are nice surprises on relatively unknown properties likeâ Trolls, âlike what we saw withâ Frozen âin 2013 “, he added.
The association also reported on Monday that entertainment and character licensing remains the largest category in the industry, accounting for $ 118.3 billion, or 45% of the global licensing market in 2016. Corporate brands and brands generated $ 54.6 billion, followed by fashion at $ 31.1 billion and sports at $ 25.3 billion.
âThe 2017 survey reinforces the positive momentum for licensed products globally and across all categories, especially the large and growing entertainment / characters industry,â said LIMA President Charles Riotto. âThis year’s results are also a testament to the impressive scope and strength of licensing initiatives in growing markets around the world, contributing to the continued vitality of the industry.
Brochstein said online shopping for motion pictures has become a key factor in the economic vitality of the industry. âPeople want to own some of what is seen and online makes the merchandise more accessible with greater visibility,â he added.