Licensed merchandise reports continued growth in 2025

Global sales of licensed merchandise and services increased by 5.45 percent in 2025 to reach 389.8 billion US dollars, outpacing the broader global retail market, which grew nominally by 4.52 percent, according to a new report from Licensing International, the trade organisation for the global licensing industry.

The ‘2026 Global Licensing Industry Study’ shows that continued growth in licensed merchandise was fuelled by sports, character/entertainment, toys, and video games, as well as “strong regional growth” in North Asia.

The annual study, which takes data from 51 countries across all seven major geographic regions, was conducted by independent research firm Brandar Consulting and found that consumer demand for licensed products was driven by “nostalgia, escapism, and shared brand experiences,” as consumers continue to turn to “brands, characters, and stories they love”.

Maura Regan, president of Licensing International, said in a statement: “This data confirms what licensing professionals around the world already know to be true, which is that licensed merchandise is a powerful business driver.

“This is not an industry anchored to one consumer category or one type of fan engagement. Licensing is a dynamic, global business that continues to move at the pace of changing consumer behaviour. From sports and entertainment to anime, gaming, and location-based experiences, licensing continues to deepen consumer engagement in powerful ways and drive revenue.”

Key highlights from the report reveal that the sports have become the fastest-growing category, increasing 8.5 percent to reach 44.4 billion US dollars. This makes sports now the third-largest property category, representing 11.4 percent of the market.

However, character/entertainment licensing still remains a significant growth engine for the industry, with the segment growing by 8 percent to reach 161.8 billion US dollars in retail sales, driven by “healthy box office performance and strong contributions from the anime and video game sectors”.

Anime, video games, comics, social media, and other properties now make up a combined 34 percent of licensing revenues in the category, slightly ahead of feature films and scripted and unscripted TV at 33 percent.

In terms of regional growth, North Asia was the fastest-growing region globally, up by 14.1 percent, driven by robust increases in global box office sales, video games, and anime streaming content, led by Japan, South Korea, and China. Other high-growth regions included Latin America (LATAM), up 7.6 percent, and South Asia/PAC, up 5.3 percent.

The report also adds that 2025 also saw online retail and social commerce creating “new pathways” for licensed sales, with online retail sales increasing to 32 percent of all global licensed retail sales.

For the first time, the study also tracked social commerce and found that 16 percent of all online sales globally were generated from social media platforms.