E.W. Scripps is selling the licensing rights to Peanuts, Snoopy, Dilbert and all the other characters in its United Media Licensing to Iconix Brand Group, Inc. for $175 million.
Iconix has formed a partnership with the family of Charles Schulz, whose creations represent the majority of United Media’s licensing business.
Iconix is buying 80 percent of United Media Licensing, while the Schulz family will retain ownership of the other 20 percent.
Scripps still owns United Media’s syndication operation and will continue to syndicate comic strips and editorial features marketed through United Feature Syndicate and Newspaper Enterprise Association.
Haven’t we all, at some point, wished we could be like Madonna? Wished for her poise, her looks, her fame, her style? (I don’t mean just women, either–my older brother dressed up as Madonna for Halloween one year when he was 10. I’ve got pictures to prove it).
A new licensing deal has given Madonna fans the opportunity to emulate her fashion style, which may be as close as we’ll all ever come to knowing what it’s like to be the Material Girl.
MG Icon, the newly formed joint venture between Madonna and Iconix Brand Group, Inc., announced its first direct-to-retail license agreement with Macy’s, Inc. for the Material Girl collection. Material Girl is a newly created, fast-fashion junior collection that will launch exclusively in approximately 200 Macy’s stores and online in August 2010 for the back-to-school season.
As part of the direct-to-retail agreement, Macy’s will have the opportunity to launch additional brands with MG Icon in the future.
The Material Girl collection was inspired and designed in collaboration with Madonna and her daughter Lourdes, along with Iconix Brand Group’s in-house fashion department. In addition to the back-to-school apparel collection, Material Girl will also launch in multiple categories including footwear, handbags, and jewelry.
The strategy for growth will include additional categories in the lifestyle and beauty sectors including fragrance beginning 2011, as well as a rollout into additional Macy’s stores.
What celebrity did you want to be like when you were younger? Which celebrity’s style do you admire now? Leave us some comments and let us know!
And for your entertainment, we present the music video for Material Girl:
Beanstalk has appointed Allison Ames as president, North America. In her new role, Ames will oversee Beanstalk’s operations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and South America. She will continue to report directly to Michael Stone, CEO. Effective immediately, Ames will assume full responsibility for all clients operating in the North [...]
Entertainment licensing veteran Ashley Maidy has joined Activision to head the newly formed licensing division. Maidy has more than 16 years of experience, building licensing and merchandising programs for Sony Pictures and Saban Entertainment. In her new role, Maidy will extend Activision’s properties into complementary product categories, as well as [...]
U.S. retail sales of toys generated $21.18 billion in 2011, a decline of 2 percent compared to 2010 numbers, which totaled $21.68 billion, according to market research company The NPD Group. While the average retail price for a licensed toy was 57 percent higher than that for non-licensed toys, licensed [...]
Howard Roffman is passing the baton to Paul Southern as head of Lucas Licensing. Roffman will remain with the company as a senior advisor. Both Roffman and Southern will report to Micheline Chau, Lucasfilm president and COO.
Lionsgate has completed a transaction to acquire Summit Entertainment for a combination of cash and stock valued at $412.5 million. The transaction unites two studios with powerful brands and complementary assets. By acquiring Summit, Lionsgate enhances its feature film and home entertainment offerings, and further broadens its 13,000-title filmed entertainment [...]
Schylling and Pretty Ugly released a new Uglydoll Rocket Ride Wind Up Toy that has a lever mechanism instead of a key, stands eight inches tall, and is suitable for ages 3 and up. They also released new youth umbrellas in three styles, Ice-bat, Ox, and Uglydoll Rainy Day, suitable [...]
WME Licensing’s client Patti Stanger, an American matchmaker and television producer with her own Bravo TV show, The Millionaire Matchmaker, and the founder and CEO of Millionaire’s Club International, Inc., has signed a license with Hyper Interactive to create a full line of PS I Love You Cosmetics. The initial [...]
Jazwares is slicing into the mobile app category after being awarded the master toy license for Halfbrick’s popular app, Fruit Ninja. Inspired by Fruit Ninja’s fruit-slicing, action-packed adventures, Jazwares’ new range will include fruit figures and plush, featuring “splat” sound effects, slicing features, ninja blades, and branded bandanas, as well [...]
Art Impressions has licensed Commonwealth Toys to produce a line of So So Happy plush toys, beanies, plush backpacks, and related products featuring the brand’s quirky cast of friendly monsters, robots, and other oddball characters. The companies’ first collaborative series will roll out nationwide in May at specialty chains, boutiques, [...]
Robin Zingone has named Holly Rawlinson, president and owner of The Name Game, LLC, as the exclusive licensing agent to launch and coordinate a global licensing program for robin zingone brands. The agreement includes the robinzingone signature brand for women, along with tween character brand Cocomimilulu, the kawaii brand loveMe [...]
E.W. Scripps is selling the licensing rights to Peanuts, Snoopy, Dilbert and all the other characters in its United Media Licensing to Iconix Brand Group, Inc. for $175 million.