Global Licensing Industry Grows 5.45% to Reach $389.8 Billion as Brand Licensing Europe Opens

• European sales of licensed merchandise and services rise 3.8% to $82.4 billion in 2025 
• Publishing, Sports, Food & Beverage and Gaming record double-digit increases across Europe 

LONDON, Oct. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) opened its doors today with new data from event sponsor, Licensing International, revealing that European sales of licensed merchandise and services reached $82.4 billion in 2025, an increase of 3.8%. 

Western Europe, home to many of the brands, retailers, licensees and manufacturers gathering at BLE this week, accounted for $70.1 billion, up 4%, while Eastern Europe rose 3.2% to $12.3 billion. 

Data from Licensing International’s Global Licensing Industry Study shows that Character & Entertainment remains the largest IP type in Europe, accounting for 53.5% of sales, followed by Corporate Brands at 25.5%. Some of the biggest increases came from Publishing, up 18.8%, Sports at +13.4% and Collegiate at +7.8%. At product level, Food & Beverage rose +15.8%, Software, Video Games & Apps +15.2% and Sporting Goods was up 12.7%. 

The results varied considerably between individual markets. The UK recorded the largest overall increase of the four top reporting European countries highlighted in the study, rising 7.2% to $19.2bn, driven by sharp increases for Corporate Brands at +32.6%, Publishing at +25.1% and Food & Beverage at +27.3%.

• Germany grew +5.3% to $14.6bn, where Publishing was up 20.3% and Toys +15.8%.
• France reached $8.1bn, up 1.8%, with Music rising 23.8% and Toys +14.6%.
• Italy generated $5bn, an increase of 0.8%, where individual sectors moved considerably faster, including Sports at +23.9%, Publishing at +20% and Art at +16.7%. 
  
  

Ella Haynes, Event Director, Brand Licensing Europe, said: “These findings feel particularly significant against the wider retail picture across Europe. Licensing continues to prove its strength as a business strategy, delivering growth across four of the major European markets highlighted in the study despite continued pressure on consumers and retailers. Time and again, we see the power of strong brands and fandom come through in more challenging trading conditions, creating opportunities for retailers and manufacturers to connect with consumers through the characters, teams, games, artists and brands they love. There are clear differences between countries and categories, which is exactly why bringing the industry together at BLE matters, to share what is working, understand where the opportunities lie and turn those insights into new business.” 

Global sales reach $389.8 billion 

Beyond Europe, global sales of licensed merchandise and services increased 5.45% to $389.8bn in 2025. North Asia recorded the largest regional rise at +14.1%, followed by LATAM at 7.6% and South Asia/PAC at +5.3%, while US/Canada remains the world’s largest licensing territory, accounting for 58.3% of sales. 

Character & Entertainment was the largest property type globally, up 8% to $161.8bn, followed by Corporate Brands at $98bn. Sports climbed 8.5% to $44.4bn and Publishing rose 5.9% to $22.2bn. 

Apparel led product sales at $52.9bn, followed by Toys at $46.4bn and Software, Video Games & Apps at $43.1bn. Of those three categories, Software, Video Games & Apps saw the fastest increase at +12.5%. 

Maura Regan, President of trade association Licensing International, which sponsors Brand Licensing Europe, said: “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. It is also fascinating to see that, in the first year we have 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.” 

Further evidence of licensing’s strength comes from new Circana data released today, which shows licensed toys continuing to significantly outperform the wider European toy market. 

Across the EU5 (UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain), total toy sales grew +8% in value year-to-date to August 2026, while licensed toys surged +20%, two and a half times faster. Licensed products now account for 35% of all toy sales across the five markets, up from 31% in 2025. 

Sport has been a major driver, with FIFA recording the largest increase on the back of this summer’s Men’s World Cup and highlighting the growing opportunity for sports licensing within toys. Movie-related properties also remain strong, up 10%, led by Toy Story, with sales six times higher than in 2025, alongside Spider-Man (+47%) and Super Mario (+43%). TV and streaming-related licensing rose +15%, with newer properties including One Piece Live Action and KPop Demon Hunters driving sales, while Pokémon remains the #1 one toy property and is up a further 9%. 

Melissa Symonds, UK Toy Director at Circana, said: “Licensed toys are taking an increasingly significant share of the European toy market, and 20% growth against 8% for toys overall shows just how powerful licensing can be. What is 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. With more than one in three toy sales across the EU5 now licensed, brands and characters that consumers already know and love are proving to be an increasingly important part of what drives the market.” 

Brand Licensing Europe takes place at Excel London from 6-8 October 2026. More details can be found here.

For press enquiries, please contact: 

Nikki Alvey 
BIG TOP PR 
Nikki@bigtop-pr.co.uk 
+44 (0)7973 354 706 

Global Licensing Group PR
LicensingPR@informa.com

About Brand Licensing Europe 

Launched in 1998, Brand Licensing Europe is the only pan-European annual event dedicated to licensing and brand extension. The London event features over 2,500 brands and more than 7,500 licensees, manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and licensing agents. Brand Licensing Europe is a part of the Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets, the licensing industry's leading trade show organiser and media partner. Its mission is to provide licensing opportunities around the world by bringing brands and products together. 

About License Global 

License Global, a part of the Global Licensing Group, is the leading publication for the brand licensing industry, delivering award-winning editorial content, including news, trends, analysis and special reports about the global consumer product and retail marketplace. Through its magazine, website, daily e-newsletter, webinars, videos and event publications, License Global reaches more than 150,000 executives and professionals in all major markets. The magazine also serves as the official publication for the sector's trade events, which include Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe and Licensing Expo Shanghai. 

About Global Licensing Group 

The Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets is the licensing industry’s leading tradeshow organiser and media partner. Its mission is to provide licensing opportunities around the world by bringing brands and products together. The following events and information products are produced for the licensing industry by the Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets: Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Expo Shanghai, License Global magazine, licenseglobal.com and License Global Daily E-News. Global Licensing Group events are sponsored by Licensing International. 

About Licensing International
Licensing International is the leading trade organization for the $389+ billion global brand licensing industry. Licensing International’s mission is to foster the growth and expansion of brand licensing around the world, raise the level of professionalism for licensing practitioners, and create greater awareness of the benefits of licensing to the business community at large. Founded in 1985, more than 1,200 Licensing International member companies in over 40 countries enjoy access to an array of benefits, including extensive educational programming and worldwide networking events. Visit www.LicensingInternational.org for more information. 

About Circana 

Circana is a leader in providing technology, AI, and data to fast-moving consumer packaged goods companies, durables manufacturers, and retailers seeking to optimise their businesses. Circana’s predictive analytics and technology empower clients to measure their market share, understand the underlying consumer behaviour driving it, and accelerate their growth. Circana’s Liquid Data^® technology platform is powered by an expansive, high-quality data set, and intelligent algorithms trained on six decades of domain expertise. With Circana, clients can take immediate action to future-proof and evolve their growth strategies amid an increasingly complex, fast-paced, and ever-changing economy. Learn more at www.circana.com.

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