conics Brand Group Inc. said it would buy the “Peanuts” comic strip brand and other assets from United Features Syndicate Inc and E.W. Scripps Co for about $175 million, in partnership with cartoonist Charles Schulz’ family. The New York-based fashion house said it would buy United Media Licensing, owner of the Peanuts and Dilbert character brands, through a newly formed subsidiary, in which Iconix will hold an 80 percent share and the Schulz family will hold the remaining stake. Iconix, which will fund its share of the acquisition with its existing cash balance, said on a pro-forma basis, the deal is expected to generate about $75 million in royalty revenue and add 12 cents to 15 cents a share to its earnings annually. In 2010, however, the additional earnings will be impacted by deal costs and will depend on the timing of the close, the company said. Iconix said there is an existing revenue share agreement with the Schulz heirs for the Peanuts brand, separate from the family’s interest in the partnership. Schulz had created the iconic Peanuts comic strip in 1950 and it went on to become one of the widely syndicated comic strip in history. The brand is licensed in over 40 countries and annual retail sales of over $2 billion. Schulz died in 2000 at the age of 77. “We believe Peanuts large global footprint and broad licensing relationships will also open up new doors for our existing portfolio of brands and future acquisitions,” Iconix Chief Executive Neil Cole said in a statement. The Peanuts deal will follow Iconix’s joint venture with pop diva Madonna to launch fashion brands globally, starting with a juniors collection to be sold at Macy’s Inc this August.
ICONIX COMPERA DIRITTI DEI FUMETTI PEANUTS
l gruppo Iconix (London Fog, Mudd, Rampage, Ecko …) si è assicurato, per 175 milioni di dollari, i diritti dei celebri fumetti Peanuts. Diritti che riguardano tutti i personaggi del fumetto, compresi dunque i famosissimi Charlie Brown e il suo cagnolino Snoopy. Un modo per diversificare per lo specialista americano di abbigliamento. Si tratta di un ottimo affare, perché grazie ai suoi personaggi (Snoopy, Charlie Brown o Lucy e la gang…) Peanuts possiede più di 1.200 accordi di licenza con aziende quali, per esempio, Universal Studios, H&M, Benetton oppure Old Navy, e questo in più di 40 paesi. Delle licenze che fruttano più di 2 miliardi di dollari all’anno. L’acquisizione è stata effettuata in partnership con la famiglia Schulz; Charles Schulz, morto una decina d’anni fa, era il creatore del fumetto. Peanuts diventa così per l’80% una filiale di Iconix e per il 20% rimane di proprietà della famiglia Schulz.
www.iconixbrand.com
