Playboy Enters into Multiple New China License Agreements
PLBY Group, Inc. announced that its China joint venture has entered into multiple new licensing agreements in China, including a five-year deal with Duhan for men's and women's apparel, an extended license for underwear, a new event and venue agreement, and a three-year deal for footwear, bags, and specialty apparel. The goal is to reinvigorate the Playboy brand in China by partnering with experienced online platforms and incentivizing partners to invest in the brand.
Expansion of licensing agreements in China opens up new revenue streams.
Partnerships with experienced online platforms in China will help grow the Playboy brand.
Shorter-term licenses with achievable minimum guarantees incentivize partners to invest in the brand.
Termination of a previous licensing agreement may lead to transitional challenges.
Minimal royalties of approximately $37 million over five years may impact short-term cash flow.
Represents Major Step by China Joint Venture to Reinvigorate Playboy in China
LOS ANGELES, April 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PLBY Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: PLBY) (“PLBY Group” or the “Company”), a leading pleasure and leisure lifestyle company and owner of Playboy, announced that its China joint venture (the “China JV”) has entered into several new licensing agreements with unrelated, third-parties based in China, representing a major step by the China JV to reinvigorate the Playboy brand in China. The series of new agreements is highlighted by a five-year license agreement with Guandong Duhan Industrial Co., Ltd (“Duhan”), establishing a stronger manufacturing and marketing channel for Playboy-branded men’s and women’s apparel and accessories in China. In addition, the China JV has entered into a new three-year license agreement for footwear, bags, and specialty apparel, extended its license agreement for underwear, and entered into a new event and venue license agreement that will bring sophisticated and distinctive Playboy-branded venues to Chinese consumers in major cities, including Shanghai, Beijing and Hangzhou.
“Our goal is to rebuild and grow Playboy’s China business by working with stronger partners that have deep experience with the online platforms in China and are committed to responsibly utilizing the Playboy brand,” said Ben Kohn, Chief Executive Officer of PLBY Group. “By working with higher quality partners and entering into shorter-term licenses with achievable minimum guarantees that incentivize them to invest in the brand and achieve excess sales and royalties, we are confident that we are taking solid steps in the right direction.”
Pursuant to the agreement, Duhan will license select Playboy intellectual property in China for certain men’s and women’s apparel and accessories and cannot sublicense without the express approval of the China JV. Duhan is required to pay minimal royalties of approximately
About PLBY Group, Inc.
PLBY Group, Inc. is a global pleasure and leisure company connecting consumers with products, content, and experiences that help them lead more fulfilling lives. PLBY Group’s flagship consumer brand, Playboy, is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, driving billions of dollars in global consumer spending, with products and content available in approximately 180 countries. PLBY Group’s mission—to create a culture where all people can pursue pleasure—builds upon over 70 years of creating groundbreaking media and hospitality experiences and fighting for cultural progress rooted in the core values of equality, freedom of expression and the idea that pleasure is a fundamental human right. Learn more at www.plbygroup.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company’s actual results may differ from their expectations, estimates, and projections and, consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Words such as “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “budget,” “forecast,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “believes,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue,” and similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the Company’s expectations with respect to future performance, growth plans and anticipated financial impacts of its strategic opportunities and corporate transactions.
These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: (1) the inability to maintain the listing of the Company’s shares of common stock on Nasdaq; (2) the risk that the Company’s completed or proposed transactions disrupt the Company’s current plans and/or operations, including the risk that the Company does not complete any such proposed transactions or achieve the expected benefits from any transactions; (3) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of corporate transactions, commercial collaborations, commercialization of digital assets, cost reduction initiatives and proposed transactions, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of the Company to grow and manage growth profitably, and the Company’s ability to retain its key employees; (4) costs related to being a public company, corporate transactions, commercial collaborations and proposed transactions; (5) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (6) the possibility that the Company may be adversely affected by global hostilities, supply chain delays, inflation, interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates or other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; (7) risks relating to the uncertainty of the projected financial information of the Company, including changes in the Company’s estimates of cash flows and the fair value of certain of its intangible assets, including goodwill; (8) risks related to the organic and inorganic growth of the Company’s businesses, and the timing of expected business milestones; (9) changing demand or shopping patterns for the Company’s products and services; (10) failure of licensees, suppliers or other third-parties to fulfill their obligations to the Company; (11) the Company’s ability to comply with the terms of its indebtedness and other obligations; (12) changes in financing markets or the inability of the Company to obtain financing on attractive terms; and (13) other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, including those under “Risk Factors” therein, and in the Company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive, and readers should not place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date which they were made. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
Contacts
Investors:
FNK IR
Matt Chesler, CFA
646-809-2183
investors@plbygroup.com or plby@fnkir.com
Media: press@plbygroup.com
FAQ
What new agreements did PLBY Group enter into in China?
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