Got questions about Sports Licensing and Licensed Sports Products? Here are the answers.

Greeting folks!

This note is written by Scott Sillcox in fall 2023 in response to a lot of readers asking me two questions:

A. You wrote and posted many of your blog postings several years ago, is the info still relevant today? Short answer - absolutely! The basics of sports licensing change very little over the years, so I strongly suggest that if you are trying to learn about sports licensing, read away! I have also tried to update certain areas where there have been significant changes, so I feel comfortable in telling you that this information is still highly relevant.

B. You mention that you are a consultant and might be able to help me, do you still do consulting? Short answer - absolutely! I work in the licensing field virtually every day of my life, so if you have questions or would like my help, contact me! The two primary ways I work are hourly telephone consulting ($175US/hour) and face-to-face meetings where I come right to your office for a full day ($1500US/day + $650 travel expenses).

Many thanks and happy reading -
Scott Sillcox

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If you have any of the questions listed below about Sports Licensing and Licensed Sports Products, allow me to suggest one of the following five sources of information and answers:

1. Watch this 11 minute video called “Licensed Sports Products”. This video is specifically intended for people interested in bringing a licensed sports product idea to market - NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NCAA, NASCAR, MLS, UFC, WWE, etc. This video introduces you to Scott Sillcox, whose company produced a variety of sports products and was a licensee of the NFL, MLB, NHL and others sports leagues for more than 10 years. The video is intended to accompany a 12 part, highly detailed blog called "An Insider's Guide to the World of Licensed Sports Products in 12 Parts: Practical Lessons from the Trenches" which can be found at the link shown in Item #2 below. The video touches on the pros and cons of acquiring your own license vs working with an existing licensee, and the blog expands on that subject.

2. Read my highly detailed 12 part blog which can be found here and begins with this introduction. This 12 part series contains an unprecedented amount of information about licensed sports products that cannot be found anywhere else on the internet. This series is written for people interested in getting their sports product idea licensed and discusses both acquiring your own license as well as working with an existing licensee. This series of blogs should answer almost any question you might have about obtaining a license to produce NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL etc. licensed sports products.

The 12 Parts of this Licensed Sports Products blog are:
Part 1: How Licensing Works - Follow The Money or How $5,000,000,000 can be less than you think
Part 2: What’s Involved in Getting a License – You need them far more than they need you
Part 3: The Landscape and some of the players
Part 4: Quality Control – Where The Real Power in Licensed Sports Lies
Part 5: Royalty Reporting and Audits
Part 6: Selling Licensed Goods - Why it’s not as easy as it looks
Part 7: Players Associations and Current vs. Retired Players
Part 8: Royalty Rates – Is 12% the norm and when 12% isn’t enough
Part 9: Local Licenses – myth or reality?
Part 10: Packaging
Part 11: Ten Things (Actually 12 Things) I Learned Along The Way
Part 12: Ten More Things (Actually 14 Things) I Learned Along The Way

If you are interested in being a retailer of licensed products, you do not need to read the 12 part series – instead, please read this particular blog which is directed towards retailers and potential retailers.

3. Please read any of my other blog postings which can be found at the Licensed Sports blog. Here you will find lists of licenses by league (ie from a list of MLB licensees to a list of Nascar licensees to a list of NFLPA licensees), sources of licensing information, distributor information, and a host of other licensed sports product information.

4. If you are interested in finding out more about licensed sports companies in North America, please visit this searchable Online Directory of North American Licensed Sports Products Companies - it’s called LicensedSports.net and costs just $59 to use for three months. This is a highly searchable directory of licensed sports products companies in North America, companies that have been licensed by various sports leagues. Looking for companies which are licensed by the NFL, MLS and Nascar who are located in Ohio – you’ll find the answer here. Looking for MLB licensees who make/sell licensed automotive products? It’s here. Looking for headwear licensees of the NFL, MLB, NHL or NBA? It’s here as well. If you're not sure if this database would be worth the investment, check out this 3 minute video that gives you a sense of what to expect.

5. Consider hiring me, Scott Sillcox, as a consultant. I have been working with entrepreneurs and senior management of established businesses who are interested in either obtaining their own license or working with an existing licensee. I am happy to chat with people once or twice and trade a few emails back and forth at no charge, but at some point it may be apparent that you would like/need more of my time, in which case I work two ways:

A. I do one day and two day licensing consulting sessions where I come to your office or local facility (ie a hotel or conference center meeting room). My fee is $1500/day plus hotel/airfare. You would approve the hotel and airfare expense ahead of time - I am very frugal and treat your money like mine (I’ve been an entrepreneur for a long time and know how hard someone has to work to make a dollar). I pick up all other travel costs such as meals, taxis, car rental, etc.

B. I do telephone consulting at a rate of $175/hour.

But don't let these paid options scare you, hiring me as a paid consultant only makes sense for 1 out of 5 people who contact me, and I am happy to spend some time with you at no charge.

You can reach me at: Scott Sillcox
Aurora, Ontario
Cell: (416) 315-4736
email: ssillcox@rogers.com

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Here then, are some of the questions you may be seeking answers to. I am confidant that almost all of the answers to these questions can be found from one or more of the five sources of information listed aove.

- How do I become an NFL licensee?
- How do I become an MLB licensee?
- How do I become an NBA licensee?
- How do I become an NHL licensee?
- How do I become an NCAA licensee?
- How do I become a US College licensee?
- How do I become a collegiate licensee?
- How do I become a NASCAR licensee?
- How do I become a UFC licensee?
- How do I become a PGA Tour licensee?
- How do I become an MLS licensee?
- How do I become a CFL licensee?
- How do I become a sports product licensee?
- How do I become a pro sports licensee?

- How do I get an NFL License?
- How do I get an MLB License?
- How do I get an NBA License?
- How do I get an NHL License?
- How do I get an NCAA License?
- How do I get a US College License?
- How do I get a collegiate License?
- How do I get a NASCAR License?
- How do I get a UFC License?
- How do I get a PGA Tour License?
- How do I get an MLS License?
- How do I get a CFL License?
- How do I get a sports product License?
- How do I get a sports merchandise License?
- How do I get a pro sports License?

- What does it cost to become an NFL licensee?
- What does it cost to become an MLB licensee?
- What does it cost to become an NBA licensee?
- What does it cost to become an NHL licensee?
- What does it cost to become an NCAA licensee?
- What does it cost to become a US College licensee?
- What does it cost to become a collegiate licensee?
- What does it cost to become a NASCAR licensee?
- What does it cost to become a UFC licensee?
- What does it cost to become a PGA Tour licensee?
- What does it cost to become an MLS licensee?
- What does it cost to become a CFL licensee?
- What does it cost to become a sports product licensee?
- What does it cost to become a pro sports licensee?

- Who can help me become a sports product licensee?
- Who can teach me what is involved in becoming a sports product licensee?
- Where can I find an expert to teach me about becoming a sports product licensee?
- Where can I find a consultant to teach me about becoming a sports product licensee?
- Need licensing help? Need sports licensing help?

- What does an NFL license cost? What is the cost of an NFL license? What is the cost of an NFL License Agreement?
And so on for each of the other leagues including MLB, NBA, NHL, NCAA, MLS, Nascar, UFC, WWE and players’ associations NFLPA, MLBPA, NBPA, NHLPA.

- How do I apply to become an NFL licensee? Where can I find NFL licensing information? Where can I find NFL license agreement information? Where can I find NFL license information? Where can I find information on obtaining an NFL license? How can I obtain an NFL licensing agreement? How can I get an NFL license? How can I become a manufacturer of NFL products? How can I use NFL team logos on a product?
And so on for each of the other leagues including MLB, NBA, NHL, NCAA, MLS, Nascar, UFC, WWE and players’ associations NFLPA, MLBPA, NBPA, NHLPA.

- What is involved in becoming an NFL licensee?
And so on for each of the other leagues including MLB, NBA, NHL, NCAA, MLS, Nascar, UFC, WWE and players’ associations NFLPA, MLBPA, NBPA, NHLPA.

- Where can I obtain a list of current NFL licensees? Where can I get a list of NFL licensees? How many NFL licensee are there? Does anyone have contacts for existing NFL licensees?
And so on for each of the other leagues including MLB, NBA, NHL, NCAA, MLS, Nascar, UFC, WWE and players’ associations NFLPA, MLBPA, NBPA, NHLPA.

- I have an idea for an NFL licensed product – what do I do next? I have a great idea for an NFL licensed product – where can I find out more about becoming an NFL licensee?
And so on for each of the other leagues including MLB, NBA, NHL, NCAA, MLS, Nascar, UFC, WWE and players’ associations NFLPA, MLBPA, NBPA, NHLPA.

- Where can I find an NFL license application? Where can I find an application to become an NFL licensee? And so on for each of the other leagues including MLB, NBA, NHL, NCAA, MLS, Nascar, UFC, WWE and players’ associations NFLPA, MLBPA, NBPA, NHLPA.

- What is the NFL license royalty rate? What is the royalty for an NFL license? What fee is paid to the NFL for licensed products? What percentage of wholesale does the NFL get paid?
And so on for each of the other leagues including MLB, NBA, NHL, NCAA, MLS, Nascar, UFC, WWE and players’ associations NFLPA, MLBPA, NBPA, NHLPA.

Searchable Online Directory of North American Licensed Sports Products Companies - Everything you wanted to know but couldn't find anywhere

Greeting folks!

This note is written by Scott Sillcox in fall 2023 in response to a lot of readers asking me three questions:

A. You wrote and posted many of your blog postings several years ago, is the info still relevant today? Short answer - absolutely! The basics of sports licensing change very little over the years, so I strongly suggest that if you are trying to learn about sports licensing, read away! I have also tried to update certain areas where there have been significant changes, so I feel comfortable in telling you that this information is still highly relevant.

B. You mention that you are a consultant and might be able to help me, do you still do consulting? Short answer - absolutely! I work in the licensing field virtually every day of my life, so if you have questions or would like my help, contact me! The two primary ways I work are hourly telephone consulting ($175US/hour) and face-to-face meetings where I come right to your office for a full day ($1500US/day + $650 travel expenses).

C. How often do you update your database? Short answer - weekly for sure, and often daily. As soon as I read/hear/learn about new information as it pertains to licensees, I enter that info into the database.  That doesn't mean it's entirely 100% accurate - things change too quickly for me to be able to make that claim, but at any given time I give the database a solid 8.5/10 on the accuracy scale and it's certainly far better than anything else out there.

Many thanks and happy reading -
Scott Sillcox

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Greetings and I’m here to tell you about something new!

In early 2012 we launched a brand new, searchable Online Directory of North American Licensed Sports Products Companies - it’s called LicensedSports.net and it can be found at that same address and costs just $59 to use for three months. This is a highly searchable directory of licensed sports products companies in North America, companies that have been licensed by various sports leagues. And I update the database weekly, sometimes daily.

I can't help but brag about this piece of work - I put a lot of effort into this website and I am proud of it. If you are looking for licensed sports products companies in North America, there is nothing on the internet that comes close to this resource. So please take advantage of this resource and "Search Away". Want to find companies that are licensed by both the NFL and NBA, are located in California and sell Housewares? We've got it. How about MLB apparel licensees? We’ve got it.

This new Online Directory - LicensedSports.net - and this blog are both Scott Sillcox Projects. Two great features of the Online Directory are:

1. The dynamic view of each company’s website – when you look at a company’s record, there is a live screen with their website right there on your screen.

2. We have tried our best to show one or more key contacts at each company, and wherever possible we have included email addresses, phone #’s, fax #’s and even Linkedin url’s.

Who would want to use this low cost (only $59 to use for three months) Online Directory of North American Licensed Sports Products Companies?

* You might be a retailer who sells licensed sports products and you want to find new or additional suppliers.

* You might be an entrepreneur interested in becoming a sports product licensee and want to understand the competitive landscape and what others are doing.

* You might be someone with an idea for a licensed sports product and are trying to find an existing licensee who might be interested in hearing about your idea.

* You might be an existing licensee wanting to learn more about what your fellow licensees are (and aren’t) doing.

* You might even be one of the sports leagues themselves, cross-referencing licensees of other leagues.

Whatever your reason, my point is this: There could be any number of reasons why this online directory might be of interest to you. And for only $59, you have access to the entire database for three months which I update weekly, sometimes daily. If you're not sure if this database would be worth the investment, check out this 3 minute video that gives you a sense of what to expect.

Here are some specific questions you might be trying to answer:

I’m looking for a list of NFL licensees (ie a list of companies licensed by the NFL)?
I’m looking for a list of NFLPA licensees (ie a list of companies licensed by the NFLPA)?
I’m looking for a list of MLB licensees (ie a list of companies licensed by MLB)?
I’m looking for a list of MLBP licensees (ie a list of companies licensed by the MLBP – Major League Baseball Players)?
I’m looking for a list of NBA licensees (ie a list of companies licensed by the NBA)?
I’m looking for a list of NBPA licensees (ie a list of companies licensed by the NBPA – National Basketball Players Association)?
I’m looking for a list of NHL licensees (ie a list of companies licensed by the NHL)?
I’m looking for a list of NHLPA licensees (ie a list of companies licensed by the NHLPA)?
I’m looking for a list of NCAA licensees (ie a list of companies licensed by the NCAA)?
I’m looking for a list of CLC licensees (ie a list of companies licensed by the CLC – The Collegiate Licensing Company)?
I’m looking for a list of US college licensees (ie a list of companies licensed by US colleges)?
I’m looking for a list of MLS licensees (ie a list of companies licensed by MLS)?
I’m looking for a list of Nascar licensees (ie a list of companies licensed by Nascar)?
I’m looking for a list of UFC licensees (ie a list of companies licensed by the UFC – Ultimate Fighting Championship)?

And while you’re in such an inquisitive mood, you might also ask, why did Scott Sillcox spend so much time and effort to create this Online Directory of 2500+ licensed sports product companies in North America?

The answer is simple. I have a fair amount of knowledge about the licensed sports products business, knowledge that seems to be in scarce supply, especially on the internet. After spending 15+ years in the licensed sports products business, I accumulated a wealth of knowledge that I am happy to share. This blog and Online Directory are designed to share that information - information that is simply not available anywhere else on the internet. This blog and Online Directory are my way of giving back and helping people interested in the world of licensed sports products.

This blog and Online Directory are also my way of letting people know that I am a licensed sports products consultant. I am available to consult with existing and potential licensees and my goal is simple, to help you make money by being a better licensee and/or save money by avoiding licensing pitfalls. If you would like to learn more, please contact me: ssillcox@rogers.com or by cell 416-315-4736. I am here to help and I am a good listener!

But most importantly, check out this searchable Online Directory of 2500+ North American Licensed Sports Products Companies at LicensedSports.net - it only costs $59 to use for three months. And I update the database weekly, sometimes daily.

Thanks and Search Away!
Scott

PS I have also been approached by a number of people in other industries who like the software behind the Online Directory. I am delighted to sell the entire code to almost anyone and it’s quite customizable. So if your interest lies in a free-to-the-user or user-pay searchable online directory – let’s talk. This would be great for trade associations, exhibitions and trade shows, other consultants – and probably many other groups.