Monday, February 23, 2026
spot_img
Home Blog Page 25

KILLING EVE BREAKS INTO CONSUMER PRODUCTS WITH IMG

Rutika Malaviya
-
0
KILLING EVE BREAKS INTO CONSUMER PRODUCTS WITH IMG

AMC Networks and Sid Gentle Films have appointed IMG as the exclusive worldwide licensing representative for Killing Eve to bring the hit spy thriller show’s first consumer products to market, through selective brand partnerships and collaborations.

KILLING EVE BREAKS INTO CONSUMER PRODUCTS WITH IMG

Produced by Sid Gentle Films and distributed by IMG partner company Endeavor Content, Killing Eve follows Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), a whip-smart British intelligence operative tasked with capturing mercurial talented assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer), resulting in a mutual obsession between the two and an epic game of cat and mouse. 

 The show’s addictive storyline, strong, contrasting female characters and enviable fashion and style credentials have contributed to its global popularity and numerous Emmy®, Golden Globe® and BAFTA award wins and nominations since premiering on BBC America in April 2018. The show recently racked up eight Emmy® nominations for 2020 and is shown in more than 140 countries around the world through deals brokered by Endeavor Content.

The new multi-year licensing partnership will see IMG, Sid Gentle Films and AMC Networks build a robust licensing program of products, experiences and collaborations focused around themes fans love most about the show, including fashion, beauty, travel and games. 

Sally Woodward Gentle, Killing Eve Executive Producer, Sid Gentle Films, said: “In Killing Eve, the sharpness of the dialogue, and the quality of the performances has always been matched by a strong aesthetic that informs every aspect of the series from the music to costume and production design.  We look forward collaborating with partners who understand the style and ethos of the series.”

Dario Di Zanni, Head of Franchise, AMC Networks, commented: “At AMC Networks, we’re very proud of the stories we tell and the relationships we develop with fans through those stories. We also believe fan affinity can be served and fostered through consumer end-points, both physical and virtual, that create spaces for personal expression and representation. Killing Eve is both a brilliant inspiration and canvas for all types of fan affinity, and we are excited to partner with Sid Gentle Films and IMG to expand the reach and success of such a pop culturally relevant and defining show.

Jodie Comer as Villanelle, Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri- Killing Eve _ Season 3, Episode 8 – Photo Credit: Laura Radford/BBCAmerica/Sid Gentle

Sherikay Chaffee, Vice President of Licensing, IMG, added: “Killing Eve hits on multiple notes and nuances of human behavior that naturally translate into licensing. Aside from being one of the most popular and loved shows on TV, it’s also one of the most clever and stylish. The dual aspect and opposing nature between its two lead characters can be used to tell a story about a product. For example, the unconventional and the conventional, the good and the bad, and every degree in between.”

 

 

The merchandise and licensing rights for Killing Eve are owned by AMC Networks in North America and Sid Gentle Films for the rest of world. 

 

Purple Turtle Now Airing On DISCOVERY KIDS In Middle East & North Africa

Rutika Malaviya
-
0
Purple Turtle Now Airing On DISCOVERY KIDS In Middle East & North Africa

India-based-IP-development company Aadarsh Technosoft Pvt. Ltd (India), Telegael (Ireland) and leading animated entertainment company, Cyber Group Studios (France, USA) are pleased to announce that their coproduction of Purple Turtle, the 52×7 minutes 2D HD-preschool animated series is now airing its 1st season with great success on DISCOVERY Kids in Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA). The series which has premiered on April 6th, 2020 with two episodes is currently airing with 10 episodes a day. Key other international broadcasters are soon to be announced.

Purple Turtle Now Airing On DISCOVERY KIDS In Middle East & North Africa

Purple Turtle (52×7’ 2D-HD) has been developed by Aadarsh Technosoft Pvt. Ltd (India) and coproduced by Manish Rajoria, Ankita Shrivastava from Aadarsh Technosoft Pvt. Ltd (India), Paul Cummins from Telegael (Ireland) and Pierre Sissmann from Cyber Group Studios (France). Handling the worldwide distribution of the series, Cyber Group Studios is also managing the Licensing, Merchandising and Publishing outside of India.

Purple Turtle, the 2D HD animated series directed by Swati Rajoria follows the adventures of the eponymous heroes and his friends: Roxy the Chameleon, Zing the Rabbit, Melody the Bird & Tadley the Bear. And together they love having fun while figuring things out as a team. Written by Emmy Awards winning authors, such as: Karl Geurs (Disney & Jungle Book II, Winnie the Pooh, Strawberry Shortcake, Little People, My Little Pony), Dev Ross (Rainbow Ruby, Little People, Jakers!, Clifford the Big Red Dog), Carter Crocker (Disney, Warner Brothers, Penguin), Paul Parkes (CBeebies, MondoTV, Cartoon Network and Phil Harnage (Universal, FOX, Nickelodean, Saban Brands), the series encourage kids to explore, make choices, learn from their mistakes and make necessary decisions along the way, promoting self-determination and fostering independence..

Manish Rajoria, Director of Aadarsh Technosoft Pvt. Ltd, says: “We are very excited with the response the show has received across Middle East and Northern Africa with Discovery Kids. We are now launching Purple Turtle’s edutainment app worldwide and have already sold over tens of thousands of books featuring our hero and his friends!”

Pierre Sissmann, Chairman and CEO of Cyber Group Studios adds: “Purple Turtle is a very sweet series full of values that fit very well with Cyber Group’s preschool DNA. I am particularly pleased of having joined the copro team and having Cyber as a global distributor of the series.”

Purple Turtle Now Airing On DISCOVERY KIDS In Middle East & North Africa is inspired by one the of the world’s leading preschool IPs of the same name that first appeared in Frankfurt Book Fair in 2012. Within a couple of years, it received amazing response and the books encountered a huge success with several million copies published worldwide in multiple languages to date in more than 25 countries including Russia, China, USA UK and many more. This brand of international appeal has been commercialized in print and digital formats including animations, picture books, board books, story books, smart books with interactive features, talking books with point-and-read magic pen, apps, games etc. In addition, Aadarsh Technosoft Pvt. Ltd (India) is about to launch its OTT Platform as well that will be a compilation of games, learning videos, online curriculum videos, eBooks and worksheets at one place to make education interactive, fun and available to all.

WOW Skin Science to Launch DC ‘Justice League’ personal & healthcare line

Rutika Malaviya
-
0
WOW Skin Science to Launch DC ‘Justice League’ personal & healthcare line

The brands’ licensing deal with Warner Bros Media is an integral part of their 5-year-growth plan

WOW Skin Science to Launch DC ‘Justice League’ personal & healthcare line!

WOW Skin Science is one of the fastest growing and proud Make-In-India skincare brands and they have launched an entire line of personal and healthcare products after acquiring the rights for ‘Justice League’ by Warner Bros Media. The range debuts with a line devoted to children’s’ wellness – and the brand will hold these rights for a total of two years, within which they would have access to the entire league of characters. With the entire nation gearing up to support local, homegrown Indian brands like WOW, in the face of the economic adversities, this association with Warner Bros serves as an international experience fostered right here in our own country which is what #VocalForLocal stands for and is proud to be a part of it.

The first lot of characters to hit the shelves with WOW Skin Science will be Superman, Batman, Flash, Aquaman and Wonder Woman who will all be featured on the children’s wellness collection consisting of Body Lotions and WOW’s signature Tip-To-Toe wash which will be closely followed by more launches in the same space. The collection will see various additions during the course of the next few years – in terms of both product categories and character introductions. WOW will also launch a ‘Justice League’ themed product range for adults under this licensing agreement.  WOW Skin Science is highly reputed for their plant-based, cruelty free products and sustainability initiatives for packaging.

Indian e-commerce is one of fastest developing markets in the world and WOW Skin Science aims to maximize on this trend and strengthen their presence by providing natural-chemical free products under personal care and wellness. The licensing deal helps the brand to add a sensational value to their product ranges as it opens up an entire new segment of target audiences, i.e. DC superhero fans, especially kids, who will respond well to this venture. In the spirit of offering more than just ‘Justice League’ themed wellness products – WOW Skin Science will also be launching merchandise such as water sippers, backpacks, notebooks etc. that will be a value add in the combo purchases and enhance the buying experience for children.

Vikram Sharma, VP of Warner Bros. Consumer Products Rest of Asia, has praised the collaboration saying, “We are very excited about the partnership with WOW Skin Science for personal care. Their focus on plant-based sustainable products is a good fit with our brands.”

Manish Chowdhary, CEO & Co-Founder of WOW Skin Science, added saying, “We are extremely excited with this association and how the product line using the Justice League imagery has turned out. This venture with Warner Bros will play a key-role in WOW’s five-year growth strategy, the most integral knob in this strategy is for us to be able to create an independent consumer base and we are bullish on the response this is going to get. Especially with the directive from the government to support local, made in India brands. We have all been risk takers in our approach and after careful data mining and understanding our customers, are confident of making this line of the best we have had so far. The nations #VocalForLocal campaign also aids us in paving our way to global domination ”

Toonz Media Group & Planet Superheroes bring together Chacha Chaudhary swag

Rutika Malaviya
-
0
Toonz Media Group & Planet Superheroes bring together Chacha Chaudhary swag

“Tu janta nahi mera chacha kaun hai!!” When your Chacha is a superhero, you have the luxury to flaunt that kind of swag! Toonz Media Group and Planet Superheroes are now letting you do just that with a chic new array of Chacha Chaudhary branded products. Toonz, the exclusive merchandising and distribution license holders of the Chacha Chaudhary animated series, has teamed up with Planet Superheroes to bring premium Chacha branded products to fans across the country.

Toonz Media Group & Planet Superheroes bring together Chacha Chaudhary swag

Toonz had championed the adaptation of Cartoonist Pran Kumar Sharma’s legendary comic Super Hero into an animated series last year. The leading animation production company has already launched two seasons of the Chacha Chaudhary series on Disney Kids channels as well as Disney+ Hotstar VIP OTT platform.

With this new tie-up, Toonz plans to bring India’s favourite superhero closer to the fan-base. Planet Superheroes (PSH) is among the top 10 e-commerce destinations for pop culture and comic brands. Ch launched by PSH will be available on all PSH stores across India as well as on leading online stores.

“We are extremely excited to partner with Planet Superheroes for the Chacha Chaudhary brand. Chacha is an iconic character, with a strong emotional connect among the Indian fan base. For Toonz, this partnership is another step towards making Chacha Chaudhary the number one animation IP from India,” said Toonz Media Group CEO P. Jayakumar.

Toonz Media Group’s Licensing & Merchandising partner Brand Monk Licensing, that manages Chacha Chaudhary and other L&M assets of Toonz globally, closed the deal with Planet Superheroes for Toonz.

“We are pleased to partner with Toonz Media & Brand Monk to bring Chacha Chaudhary merchandise to its fans. We are proud to partner with 100% made in India Intellectual Property and hope many more successful characters emerge from India, said Planet Superheroes CEO Jaineel Aga.

Chacha Chaudhary has today grown into a 360 degree brand with more than 500 titles published, more than 10 million books sold in 5 languages, massive exposure through 35 newspapers in ten languages and best selling Digital comics on Amazon’s Kindle and Google Play platform. Chacha’s merchandise was released to the young and adults fans earlier this year. Chacha branded products now available via Planet Superheroes will focus on the adult category for now and expand to kids merchandising products later this year. Toonz acquired its rights for Chacha Chaudhary from copyright owners of the IP Pran’s Features through Media Guru Consultants Pvt Ltd, who represent a bouquet of certain rights related to the original Chacha Chaudhary.

“Chacha Chaudhary cartoon has been loved and enjoyed by readers since 1960. We are committed in growing the brand for a larger audience. I congratulate Toonz for recreating the iconic cartoon in animation and now with merchandising through Planet Superheroes, fans can enjoy a more personalised experience with the brand,” said Nikhil Pran, CEO of Pran’s Features, Creator and Copyright owner of Chacha Chaudhary.

Chacha Chaudhary will be entering its 50th year in 2021. A slew of branding and publicity activities are being planned to celebrate the occasion and bring the brand closer to younger audience, building on the popularity of the Chacha Chaudhary animated series.

Disney+Hotstar Acquires Cosmos Maya & Arbaaz Khan’s DABANGG Animated Series

Rutika Malaviya
-
0
Disney+Hotstar Acquires Cosmos Maya & Arbaaz Khan’s DABANGG Animated Series

Picks up streaming rights to 104 episodes of new animated series based on hit Bollywood franchise

Disney+Hotstar Acquires Cosmos Maya & Arbaaz Khan’s DABANGG Animated Series

India’s largest premium streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar has acquired the streaming rights to 104 episodes of Cosmos-Maya’ and Arbaaz Khan Productions’s new family show Dabangg, a first-of-its-kind animated series based on the hugely successful Bollywood franchise of the same name.

The agreement coincides with the 10th anniversary of the film franchise which introduced the character of Chulbul ‘Robin Hood’ Pandey for the first time in 2010. The first season of 52 half hours will start airing in Summer 2021 on Disney+ Hotstar which has 400 million viewers, eight million paying subscribers and additional library content from Disney+, making it the most prolific OTT platform in India both in terms of subscribers and content.

The animated series chronicles the day-to-day life of Police Officer Chulbul Pandey (played by Salman Khan in the films). Backed at each step by his entourage, he stands in the face of evil to keep the city safe. Fighting evil is a tough job but whatever the situation may be, Chulbul always has the time to lighten up the mood with his jokes, limericks, and one-liners. Chulbul is joined by his endearing younger brother Makkhi (played by Arbaaz Khan in the films), who is new in the police force and keeps trying to emulate him.

The show will feature the animated avatars of all iconic characters of the franchise including the three antagonists Chhedi Singh, Bachcha Bhaiya and Baali Rajjo (played by Sonakshi Sinha in the films), alongside Prajapati Ji (played by the late Vinod Khanna in the films) and the ‘BhaiyaJi Ismile’ guy.

 Anish Mehta, CEO of Cosmos-Maya, said: “With Dabangg, we are venturing into untapped space in the Indian animation market in a narrative format that provides audiences with familiarity and novelty. With this project, Cosmos-Maya will enter a new market  where we get to give our spin to brand extensions of well-loved mainstream film franchises and characters, and will pave the way for a lot more prospects of a similar nature in the future, a plan which is already in motion with projects in partnership with three major Bollywood franchises planned for 2021. We are glad to have found a long-term business partner Disney+ Hotstar which started our relationship by onboarding 234 half hour episodes of our immensely popular title Selfie With Bajrangi.”

Arbaaz Khan, producer and owner of the Dabangg franchise commented: “It is great to have Cosmos-Maya on-board to bring Chulbul into a fresh format. They understand the universe of Dabangg and we’re confident in the way they’ll get our characters to translate into a colourful format. It is a really exciting time for us and we can’t wait to see kids give the same ‘swaagat’ to Chulbul and his posse as audiences have done over the past decade.”

 

Cosmos-Maya is Asia’s leading kids’ animation studio with 18 series on air globally and a 60% domestic market share in India.

 

COSMOS-MAYA TO CO-PRODUCE ANIMATED SERIES PUTRA WITH SPECTRUM FILMS

Rutika Malaviya
-
0
COSMOS-MAYA TO CO-PRODUCE ANIMATED SERIES PUTRA WITH SPECTRUM FILMS

Leading India and Singapore-based animation studio Cosmos-Maya has made a strategic foray into the Indonesia market, partnering with local production house Spectrum Film to co-produce a brand new 3D kids animated show Putra, the story of a modern-day local Indonesian boy who becomes an action hero.

COSMOS-MAYA TO CO-PRODUCE ANIMATED SERIES PUTRA WITH SPECTRUM FILMS

This is a highly significant deal for Cosmos-Maya as the company will establish its presence in the Indonesian market, which has nearly 70 broadcast stations and boasts of the 4th largest audience in the world, comprising more than 70 million children. Additionally, Indonesia represents a significant share of the licensing and merchandising market in the APAC region which holds above 5% of the global industry.

Produced at Cosmos-Maya’s studio in India, the 52 x 11-minute series is in production for delivery in 2021. Spectrum holds the rights for Indonesia and Sri Lanka with Cosmos-Maya handling the rest of the world. Both companies are in advanced talks with broadcast partners.

Putra is an action-comedy show based on the adventures of a courageous kid, Putra. He lives in Jakarta in Indonesia with two of his friends Iss and Budi. Together, the three of them can take of any sort of challenge. They always come forward to fight crime and save their city from evil. Putra has a great sense of investigating crimes and planning the fight. Iss’s coding skills help Putra solve complex puzzles, while Budi’s habit of excessive eating invites unnecessary troubles. Yet, due to Putra’s meticulous planning and great teamwork, this trio can defeat any opponent.

These kids are fearless, honest and above all, always ready to fight for good. Putra is a truly engaging action, comedy show with lots of adventures and limitless fun.

This deal underlines Cosmos-Maya’s strategy to grow its production slate, and to provide diverse content for global audiences: this year alone the company has developed and released more than 10 local and internationally co-produced shows. Cosmos-Maya’s plans align with Spectrum Film’s quest to grow its library of local and international content and further expand its close working relationships with leading broadcasters in Indonesia.

Anish Mehta, CEO of Cosmos-Maya remarked: “We have been in business with Spectrum Film for many years for distribution of our Indian content in the Indonesian market, and we’re glad to partner with them on this watershed project. The consumption of animated content is on a consistently upward trend – 2020 has seen phenomenal growth in demand in linear TV as well as digital content. We have seen our homegrown Indian IPs performing wonderfully in Indonesia. Putra gives us the opportunity to directly cater to a large, rich, digitally-advancing and diverse market allowing us to make homegrown content tailormade for local consumption in a foreign territory. There is no better time for us to make this move into the Indonesian animated content space, and there is no better partner for this than Spectrum Film.”

Rajesh Jagtiani, CEO of Spectrum Film said: “Our relationship with Cosmos-Maya goes way back and we have been witness to their tremendous progress and growth. They are now one of the largest producers of high-quality animation in India and we are proud to be associated with them in this co-production. We are confident that Putra will grow to become a household name and will be popular with the entire family and not just kids. This is just the start and I’m sure the relationship between our two companies will create several different and interesting projects to feed the ever-increasing demand of animated content.”

Federation Kids & Family strikes deal with HBO Max for SQUISH series

Rutika Malaviya
-
0
Federation Kids & Family strikes deal with HBO Max for SQUISH series

Premium kids content distributor Federation Kids & Family (part of Federation Entertainment) has finalized a deal with the WarnerMedia-owned HBO Max for the hilarious animated children’s comedy series Squish.

Federation Kids & Family strikes deal with HBO Max for SQUISH series

Federation Kids & Family has sold all 52 episodes of Squish to the US SVOD platform which is scheduled to start airing the series Q1 2021.

“We are delighted to announce our first deal with HBO Max, a great partner and superb platform for Squish. This unique slapstick comedy is perfectly timed as younger viewers try to navigate their way through this pandemic, especially as all the central characters in the series are extremely ‘endearing’ amoeba, viruses and bacteria,” said Monica Levy, Head of Sales, Federation Kids & Family.

Squish, produced by Cottonwood Media and Planeta Junior, was commissioned by Gulli who has been an incredible partner from the outset.  To date, the series has also sold to international broadcasters such as VRT and RTBF (Belgium), Wow and Quebecor (Canada), Hop TV (Israel), Tooniverse (Korea), NEOX (Atresmedia in Spain) to name just a few.

Based on the original books by New York Times best-selling authors Jennifer & Matthew Holm, Squish (52 x 11’) is about everyday school kids, their friendships, parents, and efforts to fit in, centering on the adventures of a twinkie-eating grade school amoeba. Set in Small Pond, Squish’s hometown looks suspiciously like an ordinary suburb, with its tidy streets, schools
and homes…with just one small difference: Small Pond is inhabited solely by single-celled organisms. They’re mostly like us – with a few unicellular quirks: algae are the cool kids, parasites can’t be trusted and, of course, bacteria always make a mess of everything!

Honda Scoopy I x Chupa Chups: a lollipop on wheels!

Rutika Malaviya
-
0
Honda Scoopy I x Chupa Chups: a lollipop on wheels!

Honda joins forces with Perfetti Van Melle in Thailand on a collaboration between the popular Scoopy I motorcycle and the Chupa Chups lollipop brand. 

Honda Scoopy I x Chupa Chups: a lollipop on wheels!

In Thailand, Honda launches a limited edition Scoopy I Chupa Chups model with a matching helmet that combines the spirit of fun and colour of the lollipop brand with the movement and expression of the Scoopy on a scooter and helmet in a retro style with a modern twist.


The set is available as of this September in Honda’s dealer network across Thailand, where the fans can check it out while enjoying their favorite lollipop flavour.

The launch is supported by a strong campaign in social media with Thailand’s most popular influencers of the fashion, trend setting and entertainment scene, enjoying Scoopy I lollipop figurines and sharing the excitement of this scooter set that allows young people to move around having fun and expressing their style. The spirit of this collection is captured perfectly in the bold and vibrant patterns of the online You tube campaign. View it here: https://youtu.be/WK0WBL-L9CA

Best from “Socksville”: Balenzia presents tokidoki x Balenzia

Rutika Malaviya
-
0
Best from “Socksville”: Balenzia presents tokidoki x Balenzia

Balenzia, the award-winning socks brand, presents yet another fascinating collaboration – tokidoki X Balenzia

Best from “Socksville”: Balenzia presents tokidoki x Balenzia

Balenzia is thrilled to announce its collaboration with tokidoki, the internationally recognised and iconic lifestyle brand that has amassed a cult-like following for its larger-than-life characters. The tokidoki x Balenzia collaboration includes range of socks and face-masks that are cool, cute, colourful, and high-fashion. In this latest edition, Balenzia presents to you a kaleidoscopic range of tokidoki fashion necessities!

tokidoki means “sometimes” in Japanese, and was chosen by its Co-founder, the Italian artist Simone Legno, because tokidoki is the hope, the hidden energy everyone has inside that gives us the strength to face a new day and dream something positive, that something magical will happen to us. Bringing chic, criminally-cute designs to your very doorstep, tokidoki has curated and developed these socks and masks with Balenzia, to spread hope and happiness, through the magic of its timelessly lovable characters, designs and iconography.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Rahul Gupta, Director, Balenzia, said, “We take delight in announcing our collaboration with tokidoki, and present to you a fashion-forward collection of socks and masks. Our collection is a perfect blend of tokidoki’s larger than life characters, bold designs, Japanese inspired roots, and Balenzia's unmatched comfort, quality, and craftsmanship. The stylish yet fun collection is sure to turn heads, and start conversations!

“We are absolutely thrilled to be working with industry-leader, Balenzia”, added Ms. Pooneh Mohajer, Co-founder and CEO, tokidoki. “The tokidoki x Balenzia collaboration is certain to be as collectible and fashionable as it is functional.”

The reinforced heel and toe, along with the high-quality combed cotton yarn, ensure that the socks are not only incredibly soft but also extremely durable. The trendy three-layered masks render the much-needed protection, whilst making a fashion-statement.

tokidoki x Balenzia products are now available at prices starting at Rs. 199; to pick a piece of cuteness, visit Balenzia’s brand stores in Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Kanpur, Ludhiana, or the brand’s website at www.balenzia.com, or look up the collection at leading online portals, including Amazon, Myntra, Flipkart, Paytm, Snapdeal, Limeroad, Nykaa, LBB, and indulge in a much-needed respite. Aren’t doses of sheer delight so very needed . . . now more than over?

tokidoki is on rise in India with new licensing deals, it would be interesting to see what’s next on the portfolio! Stay Tuned with us to get all the latest updates!

Facebook Extends Music Licensing for Gamers to play while livestreaming

Rutika Malaviya
-
0
Facebook Extends Music Licensing for Gamers to play while livestreaming

Facebook Gaming is set to allow its partnered streamers to play copyrighted, popular music in the background of their live streams — which means they’ve seemingly solved the copyright problem that’s plagued live-streaming (and basically the entire internet) since the beginning. Facebook is partnering with the music industry to open up a vast catalogue of popular music for Facebook Gaming Partners to play while livestreaming games

Facebook Extends Music Licensing for Gamers to play while livestreaming

Facebook has entered a series of new music licensing deals with labels and publishers for its Facebook Gaming platform, letting livestreamers who play video games for the platform’s community of 200 million monthly viewers legally add songs from a vast catalogue of popular music to their videos.

The deals announced on Monday (Sept. 14) include multi-year pacts with Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, along with their respective publishing companies; as well as Kobalt Music Group, BMG publishing and Merlin; and cover more than 90 countries. While Facebook declined to specify the total number of songs included, a company spokesperson said that “when we look at the music played on platform, the vast majority is covered” and “restricted tracks are very rare.”

In a press release, a spokesperson for Facebook Gaming said:

So, how it works? Music played during a gaming broadcast must be a background element, not be the primary focus of the stream. For example, a streamer’s voice and/or gameplay audio should be in the foreground. This also applies to clips made from a livestream, and the VOD version of livestreams, but does not extend to separately edited and uploaded VOD content.

This is an extension of its existing user-generated content music licensing deals with labels, publishers and collecting societies, which will mean people broadcasting on Facebook’s game-streaming hub will now be able to use commercial music. There’s a caveat: some tracks won’t be allowed… but Facebook can’t say which

To be clear, the licenses Facebook has apparently negotiated do not include every track; some, mysteriously, are “restricted.” If streamers try to play those, they’ll get a pop-up notifying them that the track they’re playing isn’t actually licensed for use on Facebook Gaming. It’s also not clear which tracks are restricted, which means we can’t say for certain which tracks aren’t. (Facebook says the program will eventually roll out to all of its streamers.)

The deals cover full songs as well as clips of songs, so long as the music is not the primary focus of the livestream (meaning the music is supplemented by commentary, gameplay with sounds or both). Along with covering music played during livestreams, the deals also apply to clips made from a livestream and video-on-demand (VOD) versions of livestreams, but do not extend to separately edited and uploaded VOD content. The new feature is rolling out first to streamers enrolled in Facebook Gaming’s “partnership” program (which allows its most popular creators to monetize their followings) with a wide release to come. In the meantime, Facebook Gaming invites non-partner creators to choose from its existing cross-genre library of thousands of royalty-free songs.

The new deals give Facebook Gaming an edge over the gaming-focused livestreaming platform Twitch, owned by Amazon, which does not have licensing deals with major labels or publishers (although it does frequently work with major labels on activations and channel launches, and does have licensing deals with performing rights organizations like ASCAP, BMI and SESAC). That has not sat well with the music business: In June, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) sent more than 2,500 copyright takedown notices to Twitch users for unlicensed music, igniting a social media firestorm within its creator community, and in August, the artist-run nonprofit Artist Rights Alliance sent a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos accusing him of “willful blindness” to music royalties on the platform.

1...242526...297Page 25 of 297

EDITOR PICKS

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

ABOUT US

Licensing Corner is ‘The First Magazine in India on Brand Licensing & Brand Extension Industry’. We have developed a niche as the only platform dedicated to cover all the latest happenings, news on brand licensing, brand extension, brand partnerships, licensed merchandise, limited editions & capsule collection news!

Contact us: advertise@licensingcorner.com

FOLLOW US

Licensingcorner © All Right Reserved