The merchandise story: From push to shove

Disney, Turner cash in on the growing interest in merchandise, increase licensing deals and expand the range of products

While Hollywood superhero films have done well at the box office and helped pick up slack where Bollywood has fallen behind, they are turning into money spinners on another front too. Over the past two years Disney Studios and Turner International (it manages the merchandise business for Warner Bros) have seen a steady increase in revenues from their licensing and merchandising (L&M) arms, growing almost 15 per cent year on year over 2015-17 say industry analysts. As a result, says Anand Singh, director, Cartoon Network Enterprises, South Asia, Turner India (L&M), the equation between movies and merchandise is changing. “We