There are three distinguishable branches in the film industry — production, distribution, and exhibition. There’s also the commercial side of the business, where markets like TV and movie merchandise play a defining role in the longevity of a franchise’s relevance. TV and movie merchandise includes toys, accessories, video games, apparel, and casino games, and the global market is projected to grow by $79 billion between the forecast period, 2020-2025. For perspective, that marks a CAGR growth of around 8% during the period.
Casino Games Are Dominating The Merchandise Market
Recently, we’ve seen the rise of branded slots in the casino industry, as online casino operators have acquired licensing agreements with studios like Warner Brothers and Universal Studios. Typically, playing a slot game based on television shows is more common, such as Narcos: Mexico and Deal Or No Deal, but there are also several games based on popular movie franchises, even some with origins dating back to the 1980s.
And while the relationship between movies and casino games is mutualistic, sometimes it appears the film industry is benefiting more as the games based on past franchises have kept them relevant and given filmmakers another reason to bring them back or release spin-offs. For instance, casino game developer Playtech rolled out its slot game based on The Matrix in 2017, and it became an instant hit. Four years later, Hollywood released The Matrix Resurrections, the fourth installment in the franchise and the first Matrix movie since 2003. In part, the world’s love for Keanu Reeves played a role in this. However, so did the merchandise surrounding the franchise many had previously assumed had run its course on the big screen.
Other popular slot games based on film franchises include the Top Gun slot, which is described as a true-to-the-movie game. Like The Matrix slot game, the Top Gun video slot hit online casinos back in 2015 and quickly became a favorite within the gambling community. The popularity of the games and merchandise based on Top Gun was enough for Hollywood to pay attention, and in May 2022, a sequel to the 1986 movie will be released.
Tom Cruise will return to his role as Pete Maverick, and new cast additions include Miles Teller and John Ham. Additional examples of branded slot games that may have kept movie franchises relevant enough to make a sequel years later include Ted. Shortly after the American comedy film came out in 2012, a slot game based on the talking bear was released, and nearly four years later, a sequel hit theatres worldwide.
The entertainment industry is far more connected than some people may think. Many movies, shows, and even books rely on the merchandise market to increase sales, relevance, and popularity. That has become visible through the online casino industry, where casino operators are acquiring licensing agreements with major film studios to create games based on popular franchises. In fact, it begs the question of would we see sequels to Top Gun and The Matrix had all of these other popular mediums not created entertainment around these franchises.