Report: Animated Content and Sports Fuel Toy Licensing Growth in Europe

According to new data from Circana, licensed toys are outperforming the overall toy market in 2024, despite a general decline in the industry. Circana’s 'State of the Toys Consumer: Teens & Adults' report reveals that licensed toy sales have grown by 2.4% across Europe (EU5: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK), even as the overall toy market shrank by 3.1% during the first seven months of the year.

This boost is largely thanks to the massive popularity of recent sporting events, particularly the UEFA Football Championships (Euro 2024). With sporting events driving toy sales, licenses now make up nearly 29% of total toy sales in the EU5 region, and licensing is gaining ground in every major country. Leading the way in Europe are UEFA National – European Cup, Disney’s 'Lilo & Stitch', and Mercedes Benz, showcasing the diverse appeal of licensed toys.

The increase in toy licensing is also being powered by major franchises like 'Star Wars', 'Marvel', and 'Pokémon', which continue to expand their presence across streaming platforms and cinemas. This content surge is drawing in a broader audience, especially older fans. 'Star Wars' has proven particularly unique, with over half of its toy sales coming from consumers aged 12 and above, while 'Pokémon' is also gaining momentum with older fans.

Sports licenses are now responsible for 2.2% of all toy sales in Europe, showing a massive 34% growth this year alone. Anime-inspired toys are also having a moment, contributing to 5.8% of total sales—a jump of 8% year-on-year—fueled by streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon, and Crunchyroll making anime more accessible to European audiences.

Melissa Symonds, Circana UK’s toys director, explained that the UK market has a strong affinity for licensed merchandise, particularly football-related products. “With England’s men making it to the final of the Euros, sales of related merchandise were impressive, even though they lost to Spain. In a year with fewer blockbuster movie releases, the toy industry smartly pivoted to sports heroes and smaller screen legends.”

Looking ahead, the final quarter of 2024 is set to bring more major film releases like *Wicked*, *Sonic*, and the *Moana* sequel, all of which could drive another wave of toy sales. And 2025 is shaping up to be another big year for licensing, with franchises like 'Jurassic World', 'Superman', 'Avatar', 'Fantastic Four', 'Gabby’s Dollhouse', and live-action films like 'Minecraft' and 'Stitch' expected to generate significant interest.

Circana’s global toys industry advisor added, “While box office hits typically drive a large portion of consumer product sales, licensing goes beyond the big screen for the toy industry. Collaborations with consumer brands, sports teams, video games, and streaming platforms are just as crucial. It’s about building new franchises while tapping into nostalgia, especially with older fans who love collecting merchandise.”

In short, the future looks bright for licensed toys, with the industry finding innovative ways to keep fans of all ages engaged and coming back for more.