LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Activision Blizzard Consumer Products Group (ABCPG) returns to Brand Licensing Europe 2018 (BLE) with a fan-favorite roster of franchises and first-in-class partners to drive the continued international expansion of some of today’s hottest properties. Marking the group’s return to BLE since debuting internationally last year, ABCPG is making a greater splash through its continued expansion into the global market through a host of new lifestyle, toy and gaming partnerships to give fans new ways to play, display, wear and live the brands they love. Returning to represent a roster of iconic, blockbuster titles, including Call of Duty®: Black Ops 4, Spyro™ Reignited Trilogy, Crash Bandicoot™ N.Sane Trilogy and Bungie’s Destiny from Activision, and Overwatch®, Hearthstone® and World of Warcraft® from Blizzard Entertainment, the company presence will also feature products from Nerf, New Era, McFarlane and more. Offering exciting opportunities for multi-category licensing, the company’s franchises of the future feature thrilling gameplay, linear storytelling, esports and consumer products for its global audience of more than 352 million gamers and fans.
“Activision Blizzard Consumer Products Group is delighted to return to BLE to showcase our growing slate of partnerships that will help fans engage with their favorite franchises in new and innovative ways,” said Philippe Bost, Vice President of International Consumer Products for Activision Blizzard. “As our merchandise programs continue to expand to the international market, we’re energized by the prospect of continuing to redefine how popular brands like Call of Duty and Overwatch are experienced by fans across the globe.”
Continued Commitment to International Growth
With iconic franchises such as Activision’s Call of Duty and Crash Bandicoot and Blizzard’s Overwatch at the forefront, ABCPG is steadfast in its dedication to bringing Activision and Blizzard’s powerhouse properties to life in new ways, particularly in Europe, and across Asian and Latin American markets through partnerships with retailers like UNIQLO and Primark.
Launching World-Class Partnerships
Overwatch: In collaboration with a number of global partners, including Hasbro, Nerf and LEGO Group, ABCPG is passionate about working with premier affiliates to create high quality and deeply relevant merchandise based on Blizzard’s beloved properties for the global gaming audience. Our highly anticipated Overwatch partnerships include a wide range of ways for fans to interact with their favorite franchises, including apparel, collectibles and toys, among other categories and partnerships yet to be announced.
With the Funko partnership, ABCPG expanded offerings to now include products within Funko’s flagship Loungefly brand, as well as plush, apparel and home decor products. Additionally, ABCPG is working with Good Smile to expand their core product offering and launch the company’s first ever Blizzard exclusive this Fall.
Call of Duty®: Black Ops 4: With the introduction of new partnerships such as BAIT, Supra, Hype and New Era, and adding to the likes of preexisting partners including Mattel, Astro and Kontrol Freek, the Call of Duty community will now have increased opportunities to interact with the franchise 365 days a year. Fans can look forward to more premiere, fashion-forward brand collaborations in celebration of and following the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.
Bungie’s Destiny: With the release of highly anticipated and transformative Destiny 2: Forsaken, Bungie introduces new partnerships with Gaya Entertainment and Level Up Wear to expand product offerings internationally, in addition to book publishing with Blizzard Entertainment. Bungie’s latest book published in partnership with Blizzard Entertainment, Destiny Grimoire Anthology, Vol. I, is available for preorder now with foreign language editions and more titles to be announced soon. The merchandise program is seeing international growth with the recent appointment of Bits and Pixels as the licensing agency for the EMEA territories. For licensing inquires related to Destiny, please contact: licensing@bungie.com.
Esports
The Overwatch League™ is the first major global professional esports league with city-based teams. In addition to aiding in the overall growth of mainstream professional gaming, the successful inaugural season of the Overwatch League has led to new product opportunities for licensed partners globally.
Coming off an exciting Grand Finals event this summer in front of a sold-out live audience at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, the league has recently expanded from 12 teams to 20—providing a strong basis for deep connections with passionate fan bases in even more major markets around the world for the 2019 season.
About Activision Blizzard Consumer Products Group
Activision Blizzard Consumer Products Group is a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), an S&P 500 company and the world's most successful standalone interactive entertainment company. Building on the existing consumer products businesses, the newly formed Activision Blizzard Consumer Products Group encompasses Activision, Blizzard and King’s franchises of the future. The division is passionate about working with best-in-class partners around the world to create high quality and deeply relevant merchandise that gives fans new ways to play, display, wear and live the brands they love. Activision Blizzard is home to iconic and beloved entertainment franchises, including Activision’s Call of Duty®, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro™ and Skylanders®; Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft®, Hearthstone® and Overwatch®; King Digital Entertainment’s Candy Crush™; and Bungie’s Destiny.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Blizzard's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the company's Consumer Products division, including with respect to Brand Licensing Europe 2018 and its partners, programs and expected international growth, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Activision Blizzard's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and the company does not assume any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
© 2018 Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision, Call of Duty, Call of Duty Black Ops, Skylanders, Spyro Reignited Trilogy and Crash Bandicoot are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc.
© 2018 Bungie, Inc. All rights reserved. Destiny, the Destiny Logo, Bungie and the Bungie Logo are among the trademarks of Bungie, Inc. Published and distributed by Activision. All other trademarks or trade names are the properties of their respective owners.
© 2018 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. HEARTHSTONE, OVERWATCH, OVERWATCH LEAGUE, BLIZZARD, WORLD OF WARCRAFT, WORLD OF WARCRAFT: LEGION and BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
