Licensing in Motion: Steven Ekstract on the Future of Brands, Franchises, and Fan Culture

In this episode of The Licensing Exchange, hosts David Schnider and Greg Pan sit down with Steven Ekstract, a licensing industry visionary and founder of Global Licensing Advisors.

Steven helped shape modern brand licensing as the founding publisher of License Global Magazine, brand director of Informa Markets’ Global Licensing Group, and co-author of Brand Licensing For Dummies. Now leading Entertainment XTracks, a global thought-leadership series, he continues to identify where the next wave of IP is emerging — from anime to YouTube creators to digital-first franchises.

Together, they explore:

• How licensing evolved from film studios to global brand collaborations
• Why agility and “speed-to-market” define the next licensing era
• How AI, streaming, and creator culture are reshaping IP value
• The lessons learned from Barbie, Netflix, and the new frontier of fan-driven franchises

🎧 Listen now for insights from one of licensing’s most influential voices — and what it takes to keep the business of brands in motion.