LICENSING IS SEXY

And suddenly kinda high-drama? In this issue, the latest from the folks at Broadway Licensing Global—and what makes theatrical licensing a vital (and lucrative) part of the global theater business

Broadway Licensing Global’s new London office, right over the Arts Theatre. Photo: Rober Evans

Happy Wednesday and welcome to your guide to the global theater industry, Jaques, the newsletter that usually lands in your inbox on Tuesday. More on that in a sec, but first: New to Jaques? Get more info here, and if you’re looking for my latest roundup of international theater headlines, here ya go:

ABROAD/WAY BULLETPOINTS FOR FEB. 27, 2024

Here’s why I’m running a little late: Over the last several weeks I’ve been researching a story about licensing, a segment of the theater industry that doesn’t get a lot of attention despite the important, international role it plays in the business. With my deadline rapidly approaching, I was just putting the finishing touches on the story—this very story here!—when there was a sudden shakeup at one of the biggest players in the (admittedly small) sector.

So I scurried off to do a last-minute round of new interviews with the folks at Broadway Licensing Global before I hit send. Mission accomplished; here’s what I’ve got.

In this edition’s SPOTLIGHT STORY, I highlight:

• the international expansion plans at the recently turbulent BLG, including fresh insights from company leaders and interim CEO Ted Chapin,

• the scope of the lucrative licensing market for Broadway and West End-style musicals and plays,

• the sector’s biggest players and the popular titles in their roster,

• what’s selling in territories around the world,

• and how amateur licenses could pave the way for further global growth.

Your special Wednesday edition of Jaques, right this way.

THE G IS FOR ‘GLOBAL’ NOW

Just a few days ago, the New York theater industry got word that Sean Cercone, CEO and founder of the fast-rising theatrical licensing company Broadway Licensing Global, had abruptly stepped down.

It’s an upheaval that comes at a high-drama moment for a company that has grown swiftly since its founding in 2017—and recently signalled its plans to go worldwide when it changed its name from Broadway Licensing Group to Broadway Licensing Global. Just a few months ago, BLG announced its rebrand along with the establishment of its new London office—hot on the heels of the company’s big-deal acquisition of the amateur rights to the international hit play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, trimmed and tailored specifically for high school theater programs.