Yu-Gi-Oh! Expands L&M Presence in Europe

NEW YORK: 4K Media has signed new licensing agreements that will see Yu-Gi-Oh!-branded products begin to roll out in Europe at the end of this year.

P. & R. Permissions & Rights/Prava i prevodi will launch stickers and promotional sticker albums in Q4 2016, with artwork developed from the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s and Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL series. The items will be released in such Eastern European markets as Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia and Macedonia.

Sakami Merchandise is launching plush toys based on characters from the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters and Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V series at specialty retailers and hobby shops early next year. The toys are geared toward both younger boys and avid collector/gamers in many European territories.

“Each new installment of the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, either the television series or feature films, attracts another layer of licensing partners to the brand,” said Jennifer Coleman, the VP of licensing and marketing at 4K Media. “The synergies between our broadcasting, licensing and retail partners continue to enliven and invigorate consumer demand, keeping Yu-Gi-Oh! top of mind for fans around the globe.”

“As Yu-Gi-Oh!’s broadcasting partner for Eastern Europe, it made perfect sense to leverage our publishing expertise in offering collectible Yu-Gi-Oh! stickers and sticker albums based on the characters that are appearing on our network,” noted Prava i prevodi’s Nada Popovic.

Sakami Merchandise’s Ronny Wolf added: “Sakami Merchandise is a new company specializing in the manufacturing of plush toys based on popular Japanese anime and manga, so of course Yu-Gi-Oh! was at the top of our must-have list. We’re very excited to employ a two-tier approach to the distribution of the Yu-Gi-Oh! plush toys, offering a plush Yama Yugi from the first Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters series for the older ‘collector’ fan concurrent with the introduction of a plush Yuya Sakaki from the newer Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V series, which we expect to appeal to younger fans of the franchise.”