The Top Global Licensors 2021 report identifies the world's top IP owners that drove the consumer product business forward during 2020 – a year unlike any other.

No one could have predicted 2020. It’s been well-covered in License Global how the pandemic changed the licensing industry. Licensing agencies especially felt the impact. Planned product rollouts were updated to include branded PPE and facemasks. The licensing industry may have shifted its focus, but it never lost its drive.

With the challenges the industry faced in 2020, License Global has decided to scale back this Top Licensing Agents list from 25 to 20 and highlight some of the world’s leading brands.

Once again, IMG maintained the No. 1 spot on the report, with a reported $13.4 billion in sales for its roster of brands in 2020. IMG’s clients run the gamut, ranging from entertainment and sports to food and beverage and automotive, among many others.

CAA-GBG holds the No. 2 spot on the report, with $12 billion in retail sales for its clients (up to $1.5 billion from 2020). CAA-GBG specializes in developing successful, long-term programs on behalf of its clients across the lifestyle, corporate, sports, gaming, character and talent verticals.

Coming in at No. 3 is Beanstalk with $8.1 billion in sales for clients in categories such as collegiate, health and wellness and nonprofi t, among many more. 

Three agencies have made their debut in this report: Retail Monster is at No. 14 with $750 million in sales for video game properties; Tycoon Enterprises debuts at No. 16 with $640 million by brokering deals for clients in entertainment, gaming verticals and more and at No. 19 is Brand Licensing Team, an agency representing brands in the food and beverage industry that earned $300 million in sales.

Top Top 10 are as follows:

1. IMG

2. CAA-GBG

3. Beanstalk

4. LMCA

5. Global Icons

6. Brand Central

7. WildBrain CPLG

8. Joester Loria Group

9. CLC/Learfield IMG College

10. Brandgenuity

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