The global licensing industry had a good 2025, with sales for licensing merch and services climbing 5.4% to US$389.8 billion, according to new data from Licensing International.
The global trade association shared this stat in the summary for its 2026 Global Licensing Industry Study, which it released yesterday following a presentation at Licensing Expo.
While the industry struggles with challenges like consumer price sensitivity and years of stagnation that it’s only starting to bounce back from, these data points highlight that the business remains resilient. “This data confirms what licensing professionals around the world already know to be true, which is that licensed merchandise is a powerful business driver,” said Maura Regan, president of Licensing International, in a release.
Here’s some of the top takeaways to take with you into your next Licensing Expo meeting:
- Character/entertainment licensing grew 8% to US$161.8 billion in retail sales, thanks to a strong theatrical box office, and elevated interest in anime and video games.
- Properties in the “anime, video games, comics, social media and other” category make up a combined 34% of licensing revenue, which is just ahead of feature films and scripted & unscripted TV licensing at 33%.
- Licensed toys reached US$46.4 billion in 2025, driven in part by kidults
- North Asia (Korea, Japan and China) is the fastest-growing licensing market, and LatAm and South Asia are other markets with a lot of growth.
- Social commerce (sales through social media) could be a new opportunity for licensing. Tracking s-commerce for the first time, Licensing International found that 16% of all global online sales were done on social media platforms. S-commerce is one of the top shifts that is changing the kids licensing business, Regan wrote in a piece for Kidscreen‘s Q1 2026 magazine.
Brandar Consulting conducted the research for the annual study. Licensing International will release the complete report this summer.
Photo by Jomjakkapat Parrueng on Unsplash
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