10 Minutes With … Supercell on Licensing in the Mobile Gaming Space

License Global: How would you describe Supercell’s approach to licensing?

Andrea Fasulo: Supercell established its entertainment and partnerships team two years ago with the mission to help build our successful games into major franchises through content across film and TV, consumer products, brand collaborations, promotional partnerships, location-based-experiences and more. We took some time to build the internal capabilities to power up the vision and then last year made our foray into licensing starting with “The World of Clash,” which is inclusive of Supercell’s mobile strategy game, “Clash of Clans,” as well as a second title, “Clash Royale.” Both games have massive audiences and we only expect that to grow as we release more CLASH games in the future. The most important thing about our approach to licensing is that we are serving our fans by delivering products and experiences that excite them, stay true to the brand and are accessible to our players everywhere. WildBrain CPLG is our global licensing agent and we’re excited to share that several partners have signed on and will be announced in the coming months. 

Squad Busters, Supercell

What is trending in the licensed entertainment brand category at the moment? 

Gaming! The industry has experienced significant growth in recent years, with global games industry revenue now greater than the combined revenue of the music and movie industries. This growth has been hugely supported by mobile gaming, which accounts for almost 50% of the global games market.

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Gamers are passionate about the games they play. They spend their time and money on their favorite games and we have seen in the past few years, how they want to experience their games beyond the gaming experience, with the success of many gaming franchise crossover content projects across TV and film.
While gaming is already a major player, the industry is still expanding and new technology in the space continues to emerge, so there is room for even more growth and innovation. Licensing has not yet fully leveraged all the possibilities when it comes to gaming IP, especially in mobile. I’m excited to see how we at Supercell can help change that. 

The introduction of Manchester City soccer player Erling Haaland into your “Clash of Clans” game made headline news recently. How did that partnership come about and what does it mean from a licensing perspective?

Erling Haaland is not only one of the biggest players in soccer, but a long-time fan of “Clash of Clans.” It’s his love of the game that prompted him to partner with Supercell for an epic football-themed seasonal game event. This marks “Clash of Clans’” first talent integrated program and hopefully the first of many to come.
From a licensing perspective, we will look to build out these opportunities in the future where Supercell can work with licensees and retailers to develop co-branded product assortments that leverage this unique talent and in-game partnerships.

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Manchester City FC footballer Erling Haaland with his Clash of Clans character

What will be your core focus at Licensing Expo? What can visitors expect to see from Supercell there and who are you looking to meet at the show?

At this year’s Licensing Expo, Supercell and WildBrain CPLG will be meeting with potential partners who are looking for an untapped IP that has the brand awareness and strong engagement of an evergreen. The World of Clash brings together two of the biggest games in mobile and that combined fanbase is ready for products that allow them to celebrate their fandom. There is a big opportunity to develop a global cross-category consumer products program across collectibles, toys, apparel, publishing, gifting, consumables, housewares and more.
We also have some exciting news coming about other games in the Supercell portfolio that is sure to excite players and partners alike. 

Godzilla loading screen from Brawl Stars, Supercell

What can we expect from Supercell for the remainder of 2024 and into 2025?

Supercell’s year is off to a great start with lots more to come. “Clash of Clans” and “Clash Royale” both have robust plans with more exciting updates, in-game events, and partnerships that will keep their players engaged and entertained. “Brawl Stars,” our multiplayer battle royale game is having its biggest moment in its five-year history, recording its highest ever global player (monthly active users) numbers in 2024 and passing $2 billion in revenue. Building on the successful “Godzilla” collaboration happening right now in-game, the team has several more lined up for later this year and into 2025.
Later this month, Supercell is gearing up for what is looking like our biggest launch ever. With more than 30 million pre-registrations and counting, “Squad Busters” will launch on May 29. A new party action game, “Squad Busters,” features characters from all of Supercell’s hit games and will draw from the more than 220 million monthly players of Supercell games, as well as untapped audiences given its influence from a range of genres.

There is even more in the works at Supercell, but those will have to wait until Brand Licensing Europe in September.

Find Supercell at booth C141-1 at Licensing Expo, which takes place May 21-23 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

Register for Licensing Expo 2024.