Sales of Licensed Branded Consumer Products Grow 3.4% in Europe
Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) opened its doors yesterday with new data from Licensing International and Circana showing that the European licensing industry continues to outperform the wider economy, delivering growth ahead of inflation and strong consumer demand across multiple categories.
$79.3 billion
This latest data reveals that items using the name, logo, characters or designs of another brand, franchise, or intellectual property rose 3.4% in 2024 taking the value of the European brand licensing market to $79.3 billion. Growth was recorded across both Western Europe (+2.9% to $67.4 billion) and Eastern Europe (+5.9% to $11.9 billion).
Entertainment remains the largest property type
Entertainment remains the largest property type, accounting for 53.9% of European sales, while Corporate Brands accounted for 25.7% of sales during the same period. Stand-out growth areas included Non-Profit (+48.6%) and Fashion (+11.7%).
Nationally, markets such as France (+4.8%), Germany (+4.4%), Italy (+2.2%) and the UK (+1.7%) all delivered gains, supported by strong performance in categories ranging from Consumer Electronics and Video Games to Sporting Goods and Themed Entertainment.
Strength of the toy and retail sectors
Complementing these findings and the strong growth pattern, Circana data launching yesterday highlights the strength of the toy and retail sectors, where licensed sales continue to outpace the wider market. The EU5 (UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain) toy market grew +7% in 2025, while licensed toy sales doubled that rate at +14%, now representing 31% of total toy sales in Europe – nearly two percentage points higher than in 2024.
Growth in licensed sales across every country,
The latest Circana data mirrors the Licensing International findings of growth in licensed sales across every country, but notes particularly standout growth in Spain and Germany, where licensed sales are rising three times faster than the overall toy market. Driving forces across Europe include categories such as Manga/Anime (+77%) and Pro Sports such as Formula One (+62%), alongside licensed movie-linked products such as Minecraft (+63%), Lilo & Stitch (+185%), and Jurassic Park/World (+10%).
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