Museum Licensing grows

Museums, galleries and cultural institutions are strengthening their presence in the licensing industry, as new data from Licensing International shows continued global growth for the Art property type.

According to Licensing International’s Global Licensing Industry Study, the Art property type grew by 5.7% worldwide in 2025, marking its fourth consecutive year of growth. It had increased by 7.4% in 2024, 3.5% in 2023 and 3.6% in 2022.

The Location-Based Experiences/Themed Attractions/Promotions category also recorded growth, rising by 6% globally in 2025 following an increase of 5.5% the previous year.

Extending opportunities 

The trend is reflected at Brand Licensing Europe (BLE), where museums, galleries and heritage organisations are exploring opportunities to extend their collections, stories and brands into new products, partnerships and experiences. New exhibitors this year include The National Gallery, National Trust for Scotland, Ashmolean Museum and Tate Enterprises. They join returning participants including The British Museum, The Natural History Museum, V&A, Imperial War Museum and the Van Gogh Museum.

The cultural sector is part of a global licensing industry that generated $389.8 billion in sales of licensed merchandise and services in 2025, an increase of 5.45% year on year.

Ella Haynes, Event Director at Brand Licensing Europe, said the growing presence of museums and cultural institutions was among the developments reflected on the show floor, alongside the continued strength of entertainment, sport, gaming and lifestyle.

She also highlighted interest from retailers and manufacturers in museum and heritage collections across product categories including homewares and apparel, pointing to the potential of archives to inspire products that resonate with consumers.

Source: https://licensing.biz/licensing-industry-reports-continued-global-growth-for-museums/