If you weren’t paying close attention, you could be forgiven for not noticing that Sega – best known for Sonic the Hedgehog, Persona, and Like A Dragon – has quietly become an entertainment powerhouse outside of video games.
Thanks partly to the huge success of Paramount’s Sonic movies, plus mega licensee deals with the likes of Lego and Roblox, Sega’s transmedia business has grown significantly since 2020, jumping 107 places on License Global’s Top Global Licensors list to No. 39 – above the likes of Sony Pictures. Sega says it now generates nearly $1 billion in annual retail sales of toys, clothing and merchandise alone.
Justin Scarpone – who joined Sega earlier this year following a lengthy career at Disney and others – is the company’s new global head of transmedia, whose job is now to take the success of the Sonic brand outside of video games and replicate it with Sega’s other franchises, like Persona and Like A Dragon, across film, streaming, TV, live shows, and merchandise.
