Giant, family oriented Disney entertainment group is reported to have acquired Marvel Comics for an amount of $4.4 billion during 2009.
Included in the acquisition of Marvel Comics was character and brand licensing obligations resulting from the previous owners having entered into agreements with land as well as online games development companies in terms of which they used the popular comic characters in land and internet slot themes. Marvel Comics superheroes are currently still being displayed on anything from video slot games to lottery tickets.
Due to Disney’s strongly projected image as a clean family entertainment oriented group, the profits that are accruing to them through the lucrative Marvel licensing deals are under scrutiny and Disney sees the association as an “unwanted” part of the Marvel deal and continues to uphold its policy of keeping as much distance as possible from the US gambling industry.
A spokeswoman for Marvel has revealed that the company is contemplating severing its connection to slot machines immediately after the various licensing agreements expire. It will, however, take a couple of years for all the contracts to expire.
Fans of games such as Iron Man and the Amazing Spider Man at land and online casinos will be disappointed to learn that current licensing agreements with the games developers will possibly not be renewed once they expire.
According to an article in The Times, more than half of Marvel’s revenues came from licensing characters such as The Avengers and Iron Man to third party producers of TV shows, video games, movies, lottery tickets and toys in 2007.
