Execs from Disney, Cooneen, MGA, BBC, The Deal Factory debate future of sector at Spring Fling.
The future of the movie licensing business remains strong, and DVD sales are continuing to give licensees and retailers a second bite at major releases.
That’s according to the panel of big names taking part in yesterday’s (Thursday May 19) annual Spring Fling Question Time event.
The debate was chaired by LIMA UK md Kelvyn Gardner and featured Bettina Koeckler from The Deal Factory, Clare Piggott from BBC Worldwide, Tina-Louise Foster from MGA Entertainment, Jo Thomas from Cooneen and Aysha Kidwai from Disney.
Kelvyn asked the group if they thought that the movie licensing revival could continue.
Cooneen’s Jo Thomas said the company had enjoyed major success with properties including Minions, Batman v Superman and Disney movies, and that the business certainly couldn’t be ignored.
“We find the biggest sales come when the DVD is released,” she told the assembled delegates.
Disney’s Aysha Kidwai said the company’s successful franchise business meant that there was now a much larger window for licensees and retailers to benefit from.
“The calibre of movies the studios are producing now is fantastic,” she said. “And they live beyond the traditional film window – with the likes of Netflix, there are now more touchpoints than ever.”
MGA’s Tina-Louise Foster added: “Children nowadays expect great content.”
The rise of different platforms has also affected the TV business, said BBC’s Clare Piggott. “‘Event’ movies will always have their place – there will always be a reason to go to the cinema. We need to transfer that ‘appointment to view’ to TV.”
The Deal Factory’s Bettina pointed out that children are also discovering more content on YouTube now and this is another challenge for the licensing business. “It’s pretty amazing how kids can find new content now, but it ultimately all comes down to good storytelling.”
Aysha concluded: “Physical DVD sales are going away no more than physical book sales have.”
