Anime property from Toei Animation and Funimation enjoys successful last 12 months.
Licensing for the hit anime franchise Dragon Ball is notching up another gear as the property approaches its 30th anniversary.
Since the beginning of last year, Toei Animation – which produces the franchise – and Funmation (the distributor for the US and Canada) – has secured a number of new deals and licence agreements.
The franchise consists of 19 films and four TV series including Dragon Ball Z, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2019, and most recently Dragon Ball Super.
Apparel has been one of the top performing categories for Dragon Ball Z. Last year, Adidas confirmed it would be launching as themed sneaker collection with a number of different designs inspired by the characters. In addition, themed t-shirts from Bioworld have been performing strongly in the US.
Dragon Ball FighterZ from Bandai Namco Entertainment has become the top selling Dragon Ball video game of all time, reaching total sales of over two million copies worldwide in the first week of its release. Dragon Ball Legends will be the follow up title for iOS and Android devices.
A number of new partners have also joined the programme over the past 12 months including Just Funky, Trends International, Bioworld and Everything Legwear among others.
Planning is well underway for the 30th anniversary in 2019, which will include special advertising and fan activations. These will include a seven-city Dragon Ball North America Tour and limited edition merchandise.
Toei Animation and Funimation will be actively seeking additional licensing partners at Licensing Expo 2018 for Dragon Ball Super and Dragon Ball Z in a variety of categories including sleepwear, pet accessories, bedding, health and beauty, consumables and construction.
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