Key facts
- Museums are partnering with brands for licensing deals to increase revenue.
- The Natural History Museum has deals including hotel suites, a paint range, fashion items, and a VR experience.
- UK licensed merchandise sales grew 7% to $19.2bn last year.
- The 'art property' licensing category grew over 8%, and 'attractions and promotions' soared 53%.
- The Natural History Museum's licensing program sees consistent 15% year-on-year growth.
- The British Museum has a Bayeux tapestry collection with Liberty and is seeing growing brand interest.
Museums are increasingly leveraging their collections and brands through licensing deals to generate revenue amidst rising operational costs and funding challenges. These partnerships are expanding beyond traditional merchandise to include collaborations on hotel suites, fashion items, and immersive virtual reality experiences.
Data from industry trade body Licensing International shows that overall UK sales of licensed merchandise and services grew 7% to $19.2bn (£14.5bn) last year. Within this, the 'art property' category, which includes museums, saw growth of over 8%, while 'attractions and promotions,' encompassing immersive experiences, soared by 53%.
The Natural History Museum reported its licensing program is growing consistently at about 15% year on year, with a focus on 'experiences' to connect with audiences globally. Past collaborations include a Farrow & Ball paint range inspired by historical color palettes and a fashion collection with Lucy & Yak featuring dinosaur prints. More recently, it partnered with Sandbox VR for a prehistoric adventure.
The growing importance of licensing has led a number of museums, galleries, and heritage organizations to exhibit at the Brand Licensing Europe conference. New attendees include the National Gallery, the National Trust for Scotland, the Ashmolean Museum, and Tate Enterprises, joining established participants like the British Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Imperial War Museum.
The British Museum has seen significant interest, with its Bayeux tapestry collection, including a collaboration with Liberty, gaining attention. The museum's product licensing manager noted growing brand interest in creating distinctive items inspired by its vast collection of over 8 million objects.
The V&A is also exploring novel ways to utilize its 2.8 million objects, launching 63 product ranges in 2025. Its licensing head highlighted the growing role of licensing in extending the V&A's reach beyond its physical walls, with initiatives like William Morris-inspired phone cases and art displays for Samsung's 'The Frame' TVs.