BurdaVerlag Brand Licensing

What BurdaVerlag Brand Licensing does

BurdaVerlag Brand Licensing is the in-house brand licensing agency of Hubert Burda Media, operating as TEC The Enabling Company GmbH from Munich. It commercializes a portfolio of more than 200 brands, drawn from Burda's own editorial titles (BUNTE, Freundin, FIT FOR FUN, Das Haus, ELLE, InStyle) and a growing roster of acquired and partnered entertainment properties (TKKG, Die drei !!!, Sternenschweif, Tabaluga, Anouk, WINX Club, POLAR, 123 Go!, and Sports Illustrated in DACH). The agency has implemented more than 720 licensing cooperations over its operating history, with recent deal activity indicating concentrated activity in kids, family, and lifestyle categories.

The business monetizes brand IP through structured licensing deals with manufacturers and retailers across the DACH region. Revenue mechanics combine guaranteed minimum royalties, variable royalties on licensee wholesale or retail turnover, and one-time signing or development fees. Licensees gain access to brand recognition, editorial media integration (via Burda's 186 printed magazines and 160 digital products), and in some cases broadcast exposure through partners such as ProSiebenSat.1; the agency in return captures a share of the licensee-driven product turnover. Customer segments include mass-market discounters (Woolworth, Lidl), specialty retailers, DTC platforms (Spreadshirt), and brand-aligned manufacturers (Schachenmayr, Owayo, SchwörerHaus, Astrid Söll). The team is small (17 people) and the geographic focus is the German-speaking market.

Name

BurdaVerlag Brand Licensing

Legal name

TEC The Enabling Company GmbH

Website

https://burda-brand-licensing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

BurdaVerlag Brand Licensing is the in-house licensing agency of Hubert Burda Media, commercializing 200+ editorial and entertainment brands through royalty-based deals with manufacturers and retailers primarily in the DACH market.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brand Licensing Services

NAICS

Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) (533)

akta.pro primary industry

Merchandising, Character & Brand Licensing (MPADALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Branded Content & Sponsorship Licensing (Integrations, Product Placement) (MPABANAH), Talent, Likeness & Personality Rights Licensing (MPABANAG)

Keywords

• Brand licensing agency
• Media brand licensing
• Licensing partnerships
• Character brand licensing
• Cross-media licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Licensing royalties: The company generates revenue through licensing fees paid by licensees (partners). According to their AGB, the license model includes variable licensing fees, guaranteed licensing fees, and possibly signing fees. Licensees pay for the right to use brand logos and trademarks on their products and marketing materials.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BurdaVerlag Brand Licensing is the in-house brand licensing agency of Hubert Burda Media. It acquires and manages licensing rights for a portfolio of 200+ media and entertainment brands — including Burda publishing titles (ELLE, InStyle, BUNTE, FOCUS, Playboy, FREUNDIN), children's entertainment properties (Die drei ???, TKKG, Sternenschweif, Anouk, Tabaluga), and digital platforms — and sub-licenses them to manufacturers and retailers for product branding, promotional campaigns, packaging, and marketing collaborations, with integrated cross-media activation across Burda's own channels.

Product overview

BurdaVerlag Brand Licensing operates as a comprehensive brand licensing agency managing a portfolio of 200+ brands across publishing, digital media, and entertainment. The core offering consists of licensing iconic magazine brands (ELLE, InStyle, BUNTE, FOCUS, Playboy, FREUNDIN, gardening and food publications) and children's entertainment brands (Die drei ???, TKKG, Sternenschweif, Tabaluga) for product branding, promotional campaigns, and cross-media collaborations. The agency leverages Burda's 186 printed magazines and 160 digital media products to execute holistic licensing solutions spanning brand experiences, podcasts, online/social media marketing, influencer campaigns, print advertising, and video content. Key service modules include Branding (licensing brands for products/promotions), Brand Experience (in-store product presentations), Podcasts (30+ offerings), Online & Social Media, Personalities/Celebrity licensing, Print advertising, Influencer marketing, and Adressable TV through ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BurdaVerlag Brand Licensing: The main brand licensing division of Burda Verlag managing brand partnerships and licensing deals

Products and services

• ELLE Brand Licensing Licensing rights for the ELLE fashion magazine brand (world's best-selling high-end fashion magazine; 383,906 readers per issue, 5.5 million digital visits), made available to manufacturers, retailers, and advertisers for product branding, packaging, and promotional campaigns.
• InStyle Brand Licensing Licensing rights for InStyle, the upper-premium lifestyle fashion and beauty magazine market leader, offered to licensees for product branding, fashion collaborations, and marketing campaigns.
• BUNTE Brand Licensing Licensing rights for BUNTE, Germany's number one people magazine (70+ years of heritage, covering celebrities, fashion, beauty, and health), offered to manufacturers and retailers for product collaborations and promotional campaigns.
• FOCUS Brand Licensing Licensing rights for the FOCUS news magazine brand (~270,000 weekly copies, 3.14 million readers), made available for product and promotional licensing collaborations.
• Playboy Brand Licensing (Germany) Licensing rights for the Playboy premium men's lifestyle media brand (46+ years in Germany), offered for product, packaging, and promotional licensing in the DACH region.
• FREUNDIN Brand Licensing Licensing rights for the FREUNDIN women's magazine brand (reach of 1.49 million readers; targets active women aged 25+), offered for product collaborations such as the freundin x Schachenmayr knitting collection.
• MEIN SCHÖNER GARTEN Brand Licensing Licensing rights for MEIN SCHÖNER GARTEN, Europe's largest gardening magazine (1.81 million readers), available for gardening, home, and lifestyle product collaborations.
• Sports Illustrated Brand Licensing (Germany) Licensing rights for Sports Illustrated (iconic U.S. sports journalism brand since 1954; only premium sports magazine in German-speaking market), developed for the DACH region with ABG and Kouneli as partners.
• Die drei ??? Brand Licensing Licensing rights for Die drei ???, the most successful detective series in the German-speaking world since 1968 (83% brand awareness, 55+ million records sold, 2.5 billion Spotify streams in 2021), offered for toys, merchandise, and promotional collaborations.
• TKKG Brand Licensing Licensing rights for TKKG and related EUROPA children's brands (TKKG Junior, Die Fuchsbande, Teufelskicker, Die Punkies) acquired from Sony Music Entertainment, offered for toys, apparel, audio, print-on-demand merchandise, and promotional collaborations for children aged 4-10.
• Sternenschweif Brand Licensing Licensing rights for Sternenschweif, the unicorn-themed children's series since 2004 (70+ adventures, 5 million books sold, 94% brand affinity among target audience), offered for toys, books, and lifestyle collaborations.
• Anouk Brand Licensing Licensing rights for the Anouk bedtime story brand (created by Hendrikje Balsmeyer and Peter Maffay; 41,000 books sold across 4 editions), offered for books, audio, and educational product collaborations.
• Tabaluga Brand Licensing Licensing rights for the Tabaluga dragon character brand (created by Peter Maffay since 1983; 92% brand awareness in Germany, 6+ million records sold), offered as a multi-generational family brand for toys, apparel, books, and promotional collaborations.
• WINX Club Brand Licensing Licensing rights for WINX Club, a children's TV series focused on female empowerment (targets girls 6-11 and families; 11 billion+ YouTube views, 8 TV shows, 4 TV movies), offered for toys, apparel, and entertainment collaborations.
• Sweet Dreams X Woolworth Baking Collection Co-branded baking essentials collection under the Sweet Dreams brand, launched in partnership with Woolworth as a retail-exclusive line of silicone moulds, baking tools, aprons, oven mitts, and kitchen accessories priced EUR 1-10 at 550+ Woolworth stores.

Quantifiable outcome

• 720+ successful licensing cooperations implemented

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• WoolworthminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 4 March 2023Sweet Dreams X Woolworth baking collection - exclusive product line available at all 550+ Woolworth locations. Products include silicone molds, baking tools, aprons, and kitchen accessories priced EUR 1-10.
• LidlminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 2 January 2023FIT FOR FUN fitness collection developed in partnership with Lidl and The Sport Source, available from January 2023.
• KOSMOS VerlagcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 21 September 2022BurdaVerlag Brand Licensing acquired licensing rights for 'Die drei !!!' (acquired September 2021) and 'Sternenschweif' (acquired May 2022) from KOSMOS Verlag. Die drei !!! targets girls aged 8-14; Sternenschweif targets girls aged 5-8.
• SchachenmayrminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 September 2022freundin x Schachenmayr knitting collection featuring 3 yarn lines, 20 knitting designs, and 50+ colors, showcased in freundin magazine issue #20.
• SpreadshirtminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 September 2022TKKG and TKKG Junior merchandise available on Spreadshirt's online platform, created in collaboration with Sony Music.
• Astrid SöllminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 September 2022BUNTE dirndl collection designed by Astrid Söll - 3 models, 3 colors, with limited edition available in Astrid Söll online shop.
• OwayominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 June 2022Teufelskicker sports collection featuring football shirts, gym bags, and cups available through Owayo's online shop with 3D configurator.
• SchwörerHausminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 May 2022Model house 'AENNE' by Das Haus brand, showcasing sustainable living concepts in SchwörerHaus's Fertighauswelt Schwarzwald.
• Authentic Brands Group (ABG)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 4 May 2022Partnership for Sports Illustrated brand licensing in Germany. ABG is the global brand owner; BurdaVerlag Brand Licensing develops licensing concepts for the German market in collaboration with ABG and Kouneli.
• Kouneli SportscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2022Kouneli is the publisher of Sports Illustrated Deutschland for the DACH region. They partnered with BurdaVerlag Brand Licensing and ABG to develop Sports Illustrated as a multi-channel brand in Germany.
• Tabaluga EnterprisescoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 22 November 2021BurdaVerlag Brand Licensing markets the Anouk children's brand from Tabaluga Enterprises (founded by Hendrikje Balsmeyer and Peter Maffay). Anouk targets children aged 5+ with bedtime stories.
• Sony Music Entertainment (EUROPA)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 16 September 2021BurdaVerlag Brand Licensing acquired licensing rights for five children brands from Sony Music Entertainment's EUROPA label: TKKG, TKKG Junior, Die Fuchsbande, Teufelskicker, and Die Punkies. These brands target children aged 4-10 and are marketed exclusively in German-speaking countries.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Global Icons: US-headquartered licensing agency representing entertainment and corporate brands to manufacturers and retailers. Comparable mid-size licensing agency with a similar mix of third-party brand representation across consumer products, promotional, and publishing categories.
• IMG (Endeavor) Licensing: IMG Licensing represents a portfolio of sports, entertainment, and lifestyle brands (Premier League, Wimbledon, Opel, Rolls-Royce) for licensing partnerships worldwide. Comparable to BurdaVerlag's mix of sports (Sports Illustrated), lifestyle (ELLE, InStyle), and kids brands, and similar DACH-adjacent European retail activation focus.
• Beanstalk: Global brand licensing agency representing corporate brands (such as Ford, Michelin, and consumer lifestyle brands) to licensees across categories. Directly comparable to BurdaVerlag Brand Licensing in business model: acting as intermediary between brand owners and manufacturers/retailers to extend brand presence into product categories.
• WildBrain CPLG: One of the world's largest dedicated licensing agencies representing consumer brands and characters (Peppa Pig, Teletubbies, Strawberry Shortcake) to manufacturers and retailers globally. Highly comparable to BurdaVerlag Brand Licensing as a multi-brand licensing agency monetizing third-party and owned IP across consumer products, with established retail activation capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• Sanrio: Owner of Hello Kitty and a portfolio of 450+ characters, licensing them globally for consumer products. Comparable to BurdaVerlag's kids-brand strategy (TKKG, Die drei ???, Sternenschweif, Tabaluga), but Sanrio is also a vertically integrated IP owner/operator and global brand, not just an agency.
• Mattel Brand Licensing: Internal licensing division of Mattel monetizing brands such as Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Fisher-Price to consumer product manufacturers. Comparable in monetizing well-known entertainment IP through licensing, though at vastly larger scale and with directly owned brands rather than licensed-in third-party rights.
• Authentic Brands Group (ABG): Global brand owner and licensing platform for major IP such as Sports Illustrated, Reebok, Forever 21, Brooks Brothers. Listed as a BurdaVerlag partner for Sports Illustrated in DACH; comparable as a much larger brand-IP licensor with similar monetization model, but operates as brand owner rather than as licensing agency.

Others

• Brand Loyalty Group: Adjacent brand-activation and consumer-loyalty specialist running co-branded promotions and licensing programs for retailers and CPG manufacturers across Europe. Comparable to BurdaVerlag's promotional-licensing model (e.g., Sweet Dreams x Woolworth, FIT FOR FUN x Lidl) as a complement and potential competitor for promotional-licensing budgets.

Emerging players

• CAA-GBG (Authentic Brands Group brand management): Brand management and licensing division historically attached to Creative Artists Agency, focused on talent and celebrity brand licensing. Comparable to BurdaVerlag's brand-collaboration model and personality/celebrity licensing activities, though with a Hollywood-talent tilt and stronger US base.

Regional players

• Rocket Licensing: UK-based independent licensing agency representing brands such as Horrid Henry, Paddington, and BBC properties. Comparable boutique-style licensing agency with similar mid-market positioning and third-party brand representation; competes in adjacent geography (UK vs. DACH).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/burdaverlagbrandlicensing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BurdaVerlag Brand Licensing