Born Licensing
Born Licensing is a London-based specialist licensing agency acting as an intermediary between entertainment Rights Holders (Hasbro, Universal, Sesame Workshop, MGM) and advertising agencies, securing characters, clips, and IP for major brand campaigns without clearance fees for represented IP.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Born Licensing does
Born Licensing is a London-based specialist licensing agency that operates as an intermediary between entertainment Rights Holders and advertising agencies seeking to use characters, clips, and intellectual property in commercial campaigns. Founded in 2014 and operating as Born Licensing Limited, the firm holds appointed licensing agent mandates with major Rights Holders including Hasbro, Universal Studios, Sesame Workshop, Cloudco Entertainment (Care Bears), Sanrio, King Features, and MGM, while maintaining working relationships with Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros., Mattel, Sony, SEGA, Aardman, Fremantle, Rovio, and others. The company also operates a sister entity, Born to License, which handles consumer products licensing separately.
The service offering spans character licensing, movie and TV clip licensing, video game licensing, famous vehicle licensing, celebrity estate licensing, and thematic element licensing, with full management of the workflow from research and feasibility through Rights Holder negotiation, contract execution, invoicing, and final approval. The firm is differentiated by its no-clearance-fee policy for IP it represents as appointed agent and a 24-hour initial feedback promise on briefs. Go-to-market is sales-led and consultative, with the firm engaged directly by creative agencies during early campaign development; named agency relationships include Saatchi & Saatchi, Wieden+Kennedy, BBDO, TBWA, Publicis, Ogilvy, GREY, Mother, DDB, and BBH, while brand-side clients visible in the case-study portfolio include Google, KFC, Samsung, Facebook, Walmart, British Airways, Direct Line, Tesco, and Marks & Spencer.
Revenue is generated via agent commissions on licensing deals facilitated between Rights Holders and advertising clients; the firm is privately held, has 1-10 employees, and has shown continuous growth through 2024 evidenced by sustained engagement with Super Bowl-scale advertisers and a multi-year track record of industry awards including Eurobest, LIMA, British Arrows, and Licensing International Excellence Awards. Operating geographies span the UK, US, and Australia despite the small London-based team.
Born Licensing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Born Licensing
- Legal name
- Born Licensing Limited
- Website
- https://bornlicensing.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Born Licensing is a London-based specialist licensing agency acting as an intermediary between entertainment Rights Holders (Hasbro, Universal, Sesame Workshop, MGM) and advertising agencies, securing characters, clips, and IP for major brand campaigns without clearance fees for represented IP.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Born Licensing industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Brand licensing agency services for advertising
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Distribution (512120)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Content Licensing (Film/TV, Clips, Stills) (MPADALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Merchandising, Character & Brand Licensing (MPADALAF), Branded Content & Sponsorship Licensing (Integrations, Product Placement) (MPABANAH), Ancillary & Derivative Rights Licensing (Remakes, Spin-offs, Merchandising) (MPABANAJ)
Keywords
Where Born Licensing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Born Licensing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Licensing Agent Fees: Born Licensing acts as appointed licensing agents for Rights Holders and earns fees for facilitating licensing agreements between Rights Holders and advertising agencies/brands. They do not charge clearance fees for IP they represent.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | No clearance fees for represented IP |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Born Licensing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Born Licensing is a specialist licensing agency that secures characters, movie and TV clips, video game assets, famous vehicles, celebrity estate likenesses, and thematic entertainment IP for use in advertising and marketing campaigns. Acting as appointed licensing agent for Rights Holders including Hasbro, Universal Studios, Sesame Workshop, Cloudco Entertainment (Care Bears), Sanrio, and King Features, the company manages the full licensing process — feasibility research, commercial-term negotiation, contracting, invoicing, brand assurance, and Rights Holder approvals — for advertising agencies and their brand clients. The company charges no clearance fees for IP it represents and provides initial feedback on briefs within 24 hours.
Product overview
Born Licensing operates as a licensing intermediary for the advertising industry, connecting creative agencies with intellectual property rights holders. The company specializes in licensing characters, movie clips, TV shows, animation, video games, famous vehicles, and celebrity estates for advertising campaigns. As appointed licensing agents for major rights holders including Hasbro, Universal Studios, Sesame Workshop, and Cloudco Entertainment (Care Bears), they negotiate terms and manage approval processes. The core service offering encompasses character licensing, movie clip licensing, TV show licensing, video game licensing, famous vehicle licensing, celebrity estate licensing, and thematic elements licensing. A key differentiator is their no-clearance-fee policy for IP they represent directly.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Character Licensing Services Sourcing, negotiating, and managing the licensing of iconic characters from film, TV, animation, toys, games, and famous icons for use in advertising campaigns, including on-set licensing support during production.
- Movie Clip Licensing Licensing of iconic film moments and scenes from major movie franchises for integration into advertising campaigns, including negotiation of usage rights and management of Rights Holder approvals.
- TV Show Licensing Licensing of beloved television moments and clips for use in advertising campaigns, with end-to-end management from sourcing through Rights Holder approvals.
- Video Game Licensing Licensing of popular video game characters, gameplay footage, and game elements for advertising campaigns and promotional events.
- Famous Vehicle Licensing Licensing of iconic vehicles from film, TV, and animation properties for advertising campaigns, including famous cars and transportation featured in entertainment properties.
- Celebrity Estate Licensing Licensing of the likeness, name, or estate of iconic celebrities for advertising campaigns, working directly with celebrity estates and representatives.
- Thematic Elements Licensing Licensing of thematic elements, signature sounds, and recognizable moments from entertainment properties for advertising campaigns where full character or clip licensing is not required.
Quantifiable outcome
- Direct Line campaign was 20% more effective at driving quotes and sales than previous campaign, with 4% improved short-term ROI and 6-point lift in spontaneous awareness
- +8 more outcomes
Companies that use Born Licensing
Customer profileNamed customers29 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Born Licensing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Born Licensing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
29 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- HasbrocoreHasbro is a key Rights Holder for Born Licensing. Born Licensing is an appointed licensing agent for Hasbro, managing licensing of characters including Transformers, Masters of the Universe (He-Man, Skeletor), Furby, Action Man, G.I. Joe, and Operation for advertising campaigns. No clearance fees are charged for Hasbro-represented IP.
- Universal StudioscoreUniversal Studios is a key Rights Holder for Born Licensing. Born Licensing represents Universal Studios as licensing agents, managing licensing of properties including Bridget Jones's Diary, Love Actually, Happy Gilmore, and more for advertising campaigns. No clearance fees are charged for Universal-represented IP.
- Sesame WorkshopcoreSesame Workshop is an appointed Rights Holder for Born Licensing, represented as licensing agents. Born Licensing manages licensing of Sesame Street characters including Count von Count for advertising and PSA campaigns.
- Cloudco EntertainmentcoreCloudco Entertainment owns Care Bears and is an appointed Rights Holder represented by Born Licensing as licensing agents. The partnership enabled Care Bears licensing for Candy Crush Solitaire and Google advertising campaigns.
- SanriocoreSanrio (Hello Kitty & Friends) is an appointed Rights Holder represented by Born Licensing. They manage licensing for Hello Kitty and Friends properties for advertising campaigns.
- King FeaturescoreKing Features is an appointed Rights Holder represented by Born Licensing. They manage licensing of Popeye and other King Features characters for advertising campaigns.
- MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)coreMGM is an appointed Rights Holder represented by Born Licensing. They manage licensing of properties including RoboCop, Rocky, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, and Thelma & Louise for advertising campaigns. No clearance fees are charged for MGM-represented IP.
- DisneymajorDisney is a Rights Holder for properties including The Muppets and Winnie the Pooh. Born Licensing works closely with Disney to facilitate licensing for advertising campaigns including Barclaycard Entertainment and British Airways centenary campaigns.
- Paramount PicturesmajorParamount Pictures is a Rights Holder for properties including SpongeBob SquarePants (with ViacomCBS) and Happy Gilmore. Born Licensing works with Paramount to secure licensing for advertising campaigns.
- MattelmajorMattel is a Rights Holder for Masters of the Universe characters (He-Man, Skeletor) and other properties. Born Licensing works with Mattel for licensing in advertising campaigns including MoneySuperMarket 'Epic' campaigns.
- Warner Bros.majorWarner Bros. is a Rights Holder with whom Born Licensing works closely for licensing properties for advertising campaigns. They also represent Care Bears.
- SEGAmajorSEGA is a Rights Holder for Sonic the Hedgehog. Born Licensing secured licensing of Sonic for Instagram's 'Stories Are Everywhere' global campaign.
- AardmanmajorAardman is the Rights Holder for Wallace & Gromit. Born Licensing facilitated licensing of Wallace & Gromit audio from 'The Wrong Trousers' for Tesco's Christmas campaign.
- Sony PicturesmajorSony Pictures is a Rights Holder with whom Born Licensing works closely for licensing various properties for advertising campaigns.
- FremantlemajorFremantle is the Rights Holder for Neighbours. Born Licensing is an appointed licensing agent for Fremantle, negotiating licensing for Neighbours references in advertising campaigns like Cadbury's DarkMilk campaign. No clearance fees are charged for Fremantle-represented IP.
- Rovio EntertainmentmajorRovio Entertainment owns Angry Birds. Born Licensing secured licensing for GEICO's 2021 'Bundling' platform insurance campaign featuring the Angry Birds characters.
- Pedigree Toys & BrandsmajorPedigree is the Rights Holder for Sindy fashion doll. Born Licensing is an appointed licensing agent for Pedigree, managing Sindy licensing for MoneySuperMarket's 'Epic Sindy' campaign. No clearance fees are charged for Pedigree-represented IP.
- Roald Dahl Story CompanymajorThe Roald Dahl Story Company is a Rights Holder represented by Born Licensing for advertising campaigns including Sainsbury's BFG Christmas campaigns.
- Penguin VenturesmajorPenguin Ventures is a Rights Holder represented by Born Licensing for licensing in advertising campaigns.
- The SmurfsminorThe Smurfs is a Rights Holder represented by Born Licensing for licensing in advertising campaigns.
- Miraculous (Zag)minorMiraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir is a Rights Holder represented by Born Licensing for licensing in advertising campaigns.
- Laurel & HardyminorLaurel & Hardy characters are represented by Born Licensing as licensing agents, with no clearance fees charged. Licensed for Twix 'Iconic Duos' OOH campaign.
- The GruffalominorThe Gruffalo is a Rights Holder represented by Born Licensing for licensing in advertising campaigns.
- Mr. Men Little MissminorMr. Men Little Miss is a Rights Holder represented by Born Licensing for licensing in advertising campaigns.
- PaddingtonminorPaddington is a Rights Holder represented by Born Licensing for licensing in advertising campaigns.
- Peanuts (Charlie Brown and Snoopy)minorPeanuts characters (Charlie Brown and Snoopy) are Rights Holders with whom Born Licensing works for licensing in advertising campaigns.
- Angry BirdsminorAngry Birds from Rovio Entertainment is a Rights Holder represented by Born Licensing for licensing in advertising campaigns.
- Talent RepublicminorTalent Republic partnered with Born Licensing in the Barclaycard Entertainment campaign to handle licensing of The Muppets. Talent Republic handled talent representation while Born Licensing managed the entertainment IP licensing.
- Born to LicenseminorBorn to License is a related entity (sister company) that handles consumer products licensing, distinct from Born Licensing's focus on advertising licensing. The website directs those interested in consumer product licensing to Born to License.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Born Licensing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Fluid World: UK-based licensing consultancy connecting brand owners with licensees and supporting similar entertainment-IP representation mandates.
- Beanstalk: Global brand licensing agency that acts as licensing representative for major rights holders, very closely matching Born Licensing's appointed-agent model.
- Striker Entertainment: Licensing and marketing agency focused on film, TV, and gaming IP — close comparability on entertainment-focused licensing mandates.
- Joester Loria Group: Licensing and brand consultancy representing both consumer and entertainment properties — comparable appointed-agent operating model to Born Licensing.
- Bulldog Licensing: UK-based licensing agency with a similar role representing rights holders across entertainment, consumer products, and gifting in the UK and international markets.
- Rocket Licensing: UK licensing agency that represents well-known entertainment and consumer brands, comparable in size and ownership structure to Born Licensing.
- License Works: Independent licensing agency that brokers entertainment and brand IP deals, directly comparable in service offering to Born Licensing.
Broad incumbents
- WildBrain: Major rights holder and integrated licensing company; operates an in-house licensing arm and represents entertainment IP end-to-end, in part competing with independent agents.
- ITV Commercial / Luma Partners: UK broadcaster's commercial licensing arm that licenses entertainment IP directly to advertising and merchandise partners — functions as an integrated competitor to specialist agents.
- BBC Studios (Consumer Products): In-house licensing division of a major broadcaster doing comparable character/clip licensing work, representing an alternative for both rights holders and brands.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Born Licensing social profiles
Digital presenceBorn Licensing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Born Licensing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Born Licensing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Born Licensing M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Born Licensing
What does Born Licensing do?
Born Licensing is a specialist licensing agency that secures characters, movie and TV clips, video game assets, famous vehicles, celebrity estate likenesses, and thematic entertainment IP for use in advertising and marketing campaigns. Acting as appointed licensing agent for Rights Holders including Hasbro, Universal Studios, Sesame Workshop, Cloudco Entertainment (Care Bears), Sanrio, and King Features, the company manages the full licensing process — feasibility research, commercial-term negotiation, contracting, invoicing, brand assurance, and Rights Holder approvals — for advertising agencies and their brand clients. The company charges no clearance fees for IP it represents and provides initial feedback on briefs within 24 hours.
Is Born Licensing a public or private company?
Born Licensing is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Born Licensing founded?
Born Licensing was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Born Licensing based?
Born Licensing is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Born Licensing make money?
One revenue line is on record: licensing Agent Fees.
Who are Born Licensing's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Fluid World, Beanstalk, Striker Entertainment, Joester Loria Group, Bulldog Licensing, Rocket Licensing and License Works. Broad incumbents are WildBrain, ITV Commercial / Luma Partners and BBC Studios (Consumer Products).
Does Born Licensing have an API?
No public API is recorded for Born Licensing.
What industry is Born Licensing in?
Born Licensing's product category is Brand licensing agency services for advertising. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADALAA, Content Licensing (Film/TV, Clips, Stills), with a secondary code of MPADALAF, Merchandising, Character & Brand Licensing. Its NAICS code is 512120 and its SIC code is 7822.