Nov '24 (edited) • Licensing Lingo & Stories
🥊 From Knockout King to Licensing Legend...
A licensing story that packs a punch Iron Mike would be proud of!
In 1986, Nintendo was about to launch a new boxing game for the NES.
But Nintendo of America's president had a crazy idea after watching a 20-year-old Mike Tyson demolish his opponents...
"What if we put the scariest man on the planet in our game?"
Nintendo offered young Mike a licensing deal that would make most licensing agents cry:
Just $50,000 for a 3-year license to use his name and likeness.
(I hear he wasn’t mad though. Just happy to be part of gaming history for his first deal)
But here's the licensing magic:
• Perfect timing - Nintendo saw Tyson's star rising BEFORE he hit peak value
• Fixed term - They built in a 3-year limit (smart!)
• Clear exit strategy - When the term ended, Nintendo chose not to renew the deal - (due to Mike’s increased controversial image from personal and legal troubles. They simply replaced him with "Mr. Dream" and re-released the game as “Punch-Out!!”)
• Win-win structure - Tyson got cash + exposure, Nintendo got star power
The result?
Over 2 MILLION copies sold!
But here's where the story gets even better...
That first Nintendo deal? It was just the beginning.
Since then, Tyson has:
- Licensed his name to bestselling books
- Created a hit animated series ("Mike Tyson Mysteries")
- Launched successful cannabis products ("Tyson 2.0")
- Even licensed his personal brand for the hit Hulu series "Mike"
Today, Mike's licensing deals bring in an estimated $30+ MILLION a year!
Daaaa-yuumn.
From a $50k video game deal to a multi-million dollar licensing empire...
That first "small" Nintendo deal helped build the foundation for everything that came after.
I don't know about you?
But this fires me up to go stack dem royalties, knowing what we Rockstars know in here.
To rockin’ (and stackin') those royalties,
Adam
PS: Fun fact - Tyson's cannabis company did $150 million in sales in 2022 alone! Now THAT'S what I call a high-value licensing deal! 😉🌿
PPS: Check out the GIF for this post. That must be Mr. Dream. I couldn't find one with Mike Tyson in it I'm sure due to lack of licensing rights.
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🥊 From Knockout King to Licensing Legend...
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