Invigorated by the 1 million-viewer premiere of Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Super, Toei Animation Inc. and Funimation Entertainment sign new and renewed license agreements for the franchise, in a variety of merchandise categories.
LOS ANGELES -- Toei Animation Inc. and Funimation Entertainment announced new and renewed license agreements for the “Dragon Ball” franchise. Agreements with multiple partners, in a variety of merchandise categories, encompass both the Dragon Ball Super and Dragon Ball Z anime series. “Dragon Ball” is an iconic global brand and has been a pop culture favorite in North America for more than 20 years. Dragon Ball Super, the first new storyline from original creator Akira Toriyama in more than 18 years, began airing on January 7, 2017 on North American cable television, garnering more than 1 million viewers for its premiere episode.
This latest round of Dragon Ball licensing agreements follows an earlier series of apparel agreements with Bioworld, Great Eastern Entertainment and JCorp announced by Toei Animation and Funimation at fashion trade show The Collective at Magic in February 2017. Licensed merchandise included in today’s announcement will be available in a variety of retailers across the US and Canada.
Toei Animation and Funimation are actively seeking additional licensing partners, including mass market distributors, for Dragon Ball Super themed merchandise in several categories including bags, headwear, bedding and underwear.
New licensing agreements include:
- Leading manufacturer and master toy licensee Bandai will release a new line of Dragon Ball Super toys starting in Fall 2017.
- Leading calendar supplier Calendar Holdings will produce a new series of Dragon Ball Super-themed calendars.
- Geek themed soap company DigitalSoaps with create a series of highly detailed soaps based on Dragon Ball Z.
- Pop culture hosiery merchandiser Everything Legwear will produce a new themed collection of socks based on Dragon Ball Super.
- Top supplier of Halloween costumes FUN.com will continue producing its collection costumes, wigs, masks and accessories based on characters from Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z.
- Producer of the globally popular Pop! Vinyl line of collectibles Funko will create a new collection of characters from the “Dragon Ball” franchise.
- Great Eastern Entertainment, the leading manufacturer of licensed anime and entertainment merchandise, will create a new collection of accessories based on Dragon Ball Super.
- Top comic book and graphic novel publisher IDW Publishing will create a new collection of themed non-collectible board, tile-laying games as well as dice games based on Dragon Ball Z.
- Just Toys International, the global toy company specializing in licensed toys and gifts will create new collections of themed plush clips, plush figures and mini posters based on Dragon Ball Super, as well as themed plush clips and plush figures based on Dragon Ball Z.
- Major manufacturer of innovative licensed products Rabbit Tanaka will continue producing themed wall décor, lighting, clocks, dartboards, pool cue sticks and rotational molded banks based on Dragon Ball Z.
- Leading manufacturer of fan-driven licensed merchandise Surreal Entertainment will continue producing themed home goods, auto accessories, coin banks, game dice and desktop accessories based on Dragon Ball Z.
- Trends International, the leading supplier of licensed posters, calendars, stickers and social, will produce a new collection of themed posters in a variety of sizes based on Dragon Ball Super.
Source: Toei Animation Inc.
