Global Licensing Industry Reaches $389.8B as BLE Opens

The global licensing industry grew 5.45% to $389.8 billion in 2025, according to new data from Licensing International released as Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) opens in London. 

Licensing International, which sponsors BLE, indicates that European sales of licensed merchandise and services rose 3.8% to $82.4 billion, with Western Europe accounting for $70.1 billion and Eastern Europe reaching $12.3 billion. Character & Entertainment remained the largest IP type in Europe, while Publishing, Sports, Food & Beverage, and Software, Video Games & Apps posted some of the strongest growth. The U.K. led the four major European markets highlighted in the study, growing 7.2% to $19.2 billion, followed by Germany at $14.6 billion, France at $8.1 billion, and Italy at $5 billion.

“What really stands out in this year’s research is the breadth of opportunity across licensing, from the continued growth of art and experiences to strong performances in sport, gaming, and food and beverage,” shares Maura Regan, President of Licensing International. “It’s also fascinating to see that, in the first year we’ve measured it, social media is already generating 16% of online sales globally. With 32% of licensed sales now taking place online, this gives us an important new benchmark for understanding how and where consumers are buying licensed products.” 

Licensed toys also continued to outperform the broader European toy market, according to data from Circana. Across the EU5, total toy sales increased 8% year-to-date through August 2026, while licensed toy sales jumped 20%, bringing licensed products to 35% of total toy sales, up from 31% in 2025. Sports, movies, TV, and streaming properties all contributed to the growth, with FIFA, Toy Story, Spider-Man, Super Mario, One Piece, KPop Demon Hunters, and Pokémon, the No. 1 toy property, among the properties highlighted. Globally, Character & Entertainment remained the largest property type at $161.8 billion, while Apparel led product sales at $52.9 billion, followed by Toys at $46.4 billion and Software, Video Games & Apps at $43.1 billion.

“Licensed toys are taking an increasingly significant share of the European toy market,” says Melissa Symonds, U.K. Toy Director at Circana. “What’s particularly interesting this year is the breadth of fandom behind that performance, from the huge impact of the FIFA World Cup and established movie franchises to new streaming content finding an audience through toys.”

WildBrain is expanding the Teletubbies franchise across consumer products and experiential activations as the brand approaches its 30th anniversary in 2027. In Taiwan, Pu Tai has launched the territory’s first Teletubbies pop-up experience at Taipei’s Q Square, following recent activations across Asia Pacific and the launch of the WildBrain Garden retail destination in China.

The franchise is also growing across fashion, toys, collectibles, beauty, lifestyle, food and beverage, and retail. New partnerships include Bull Airs for apparel, accessories, and footwear; Overlord Caps for headwear; Character Options, Kids Preferred, and McFarlane Toys’ QMx for plush and collectibles; and Glampick for a K-beauty program in Malaysia. Additional collaborations include FitPet pet accessories, a Smucker’s promotion in South Korea, lifestyle tech products from ToySelect in Taiwan, expanded global SKUs from Miniso, and a Teletubbies collaboration with Chinese hot pot chain Haidilao launching this month.

Find WildBrain at Stand No. B171. Find Teletubbies at its own dedicated booth, Stand No. E173.

Global Merchandising Services has announced that Iron Maiden’s global consumer products licensing program has surpassed 110 partners worldwide, expanding the band and its iconic mascot Eddie across apparel, accessories, toys, collectibles, publishing, location-based experiences, and more. The program now spans North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, with products available through retailers including Target, Walmart, Hot Topic, Primark, and H&M.

Recent developments include an expanded global distribution program from Centauria Editore for Iron Maiden’s collectible publishing series, the first official Iron Maiden running event in Brazil, and new and continuing partnerships across fashion and collectibles. Partners in the toy and collectibles space include Handmade by Robots, Medicom Toys, Minix, Super7, Q Workshop, Major Bendies, Knucklebonz, and M2 Machines. The licensing milestone arrives as Iron Maiden celebrates its 50th anniversary and prepares for its induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.

Ozzy Osbourne continues to expand his reach across entertainment, consumer products, and experiential platforms, with Global Merchandising Services managing a worldwide licensing program spanning more than 60 partners across apparel, collectibles, accessories, beverages, games, publishing, and lifestyle products. Following the “Back to the Beginning” farewell event featuring Ozzy and the original members of Black Sabbath, the brand is set for another major moment with the 2026 theatrical release of Back to the Beginning: Ozzy’s Final Bow. Looking ahead, the return of Ozzfest in 2027 will bring the influential heavy metal festival back to Ozzy’s hometown of Birmingham. Recent brand extensions include Patient Number 9 Golden Ale with Hobsons Brewery and Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights.

Global Merchandising Services is also bringing Vita Coco to BLE following its appointment as global licensing agent for The Vita Coco Company’s flagship coconut water brand. The licensing program will expand Vita Coco beyond beverages into fashion, beauty, wellness, accessories, collaborations, promotional partnerships, and retail activations. BioWorld is the brand’s first major licensing partner, developing an apparel collection for exclusive retail through Primark, marking an early step in Vita Coco’s expansion into fashion and mass retail.

Find Global Merchandising Services at Stand No. C135.

The British Museum and Zipang have entered into a strategic agency agreement to expand the British Museum brand and its Bastet character IP across Japan. Brokered in partnership with Andrew Eborn, president of Octopus TV, the deal grants Zipang agency rights across all media sectors in Japan, including the use of the British Museum’s trademarks, imagery, and intellectual property in products and commercial initiatives.

The partnership will focus on developing licensing programs, consumer products, media collaborations, and brand partnerships that bring the British Museum’s cultural legacy to new audiences throughout Japan. The agreement also aims to expand Bastet, the Museum’s character IP, within Japan’s licensing market through premium commercial opportunities and collaborations.

Find the British Museum at Stand No. B261.

Universal is expanding retail and partner activity for Shrek across EMEA ahead of the release of DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek 5 next summer. Shrek continues to attract multiple generations of fans twenty-five years after the franchise debuted, with 368 million hours of Shrek content streamed in 2025 and the property ranking No. 1 for fanship among 18–34-year-olds in recent consumer research. The franchise’s reach has also expanded through Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas, which opened DreamWorks’ Shrek’s Swamp in 2026 with attractions, interactive play, character encounters, themed food, and merchandise.

New activity rolling out across EMEA during the 2026 holiday season includes retail campaigns with ASDA, The Entertainer, and The Works in the U.K. and Ireland, as well as events and activations across Europe. 

The film will reunite Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz as Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona, alongside Zendaya, while Universal continues to develop the franchise beyond the film with an upcoming Donkey spinoff planned for 2028.

Find Universal at Stand No. A171.