Jamie Stevens – EVP at Sony Pictures Consumer Products – on building the GOAT licensing programme with a sports-fan mindset

Jamie, it’s great to connect. To kick us off, what about GOAT made you confident and excited about its potential in consumer products?
GOAT is a unique opportunity at the intersection of sports culture and animated entertainment. From a licensing perspective, the bold, stylised animation lends itself to a lifestyle brand as much as it does storytelling – with natural connections across footwear and apparel, interactive gaming, toys, collectibles and publishing. To build momentum around the theatrical release and connect with audiences beyond the big screen, we expanded the world of GOAT through strategic partnerships, including books and activity formats with Penguin Random House and an exclusive NBA Bounce video game experience.

Can you give us a few examples that highlight how creative your licensees are being with this IP?
With every new property, our objective is to move beyond traditional merchandising to ensure that our licensees organically extend the film’s universe. The collaboration with Under Armour and the Curry Brand allows fans to integrate the film’s aesthetic into their daily lifestyle through apparel and footwear, with character-inspired colourways that bring sneakers seen in the film to life.

This commitment to authenticity continues through our work with Outright Games to integrate the GOAT IP into NBA Bounce. This integration not only incorporates eight new GOAT characters into the game but also features GOAT-inspired courts and new challenges that introduce the ethos of GOAT to the popular game. For this film, we prioritised a cohesive ecosystem that delivered value to fans across every category.

The movie introduces several teams and players, each with their own distinct attributes. How inspired were you by the world of sports licensing when it came to bringing these players and teams to life through licensing?
Stephen Curry’s involvement as a producer adds real credibility to GOAT’s sports-driven world, and it helped inform how we thought about licensing the film. We approached the program with a sports-fan mindset, leaning into the idea of teams, players, and identity, so fans can show affiliation the way they do with real leagues. By applying that thinking to the fictional roarball universe, we built a program that highlights distinct team and character identities across categories, from footwear and apparel to collectibles, publishing, and gaming – so fans can connect with GOAT beyond the screen.

The animation in this movie is incredibly stylish – how did you approach bringing this style to life in a category like toys?
Our goal was to translate that bold character design into product without losing what makes it feel so dynamic on screen. We focused on protecting the most recognisable elements, including distinct silhouettes, facial expressions, and key design details, so each character still feels instantly identifiable in toy form.

With our toy and collectibles partners, we leaned into companies known for strong character translation and stylisation, including Jada Toys who turned the characters of GOAT into screen-accurate plush and action figures, while Funko, and Youtooz Collectibles blended the uniqueness of GOAT into their own well-known collectible lines. Working closely with each team, we aligned on the core creative pillars from the film so the figures, collectibles and plush capture the same energy and personality fans will recognise, while still feeling premium as physical products.

Beyond GOAT, what other IP is keeping you busy at the moment?
The team and I are also focused on the highly anticipated final seasons of iconic shows including Outlander and The Boys, which continue to be major franchises in the market as we build toward those season premieres. Our priority is strategic, fan-first product launches and collaborations that feel true to the series and create meaningful ways to engage with the brand beyond the screen… Such as the recently announced high-fashion collaboration between Outlander and Ronny Kobo that features designs inspired by the aesthetics and romance of the historical fiction series.

Absolutely. And what fuels your creativity? What helps you have ideas for where your brands could go?
I pay close attention to how fans already show up for a film or series, what they quote, collect, wear and share. Then I look for the natural gaps where the brand has not shown up yet and match the right partner to deliver something that feels true to that world, whether it’s a product you can wear, display, or interact with. It’s more than just the aesthetics of a property, but also about finding creative ways to express and celebrate the distinctive themes each brand offers through its licensed merchandise.

“Stephen Curry’s involvement as a producer adds real credibility to GOAT’s sports-driven world.”

And are you generally a fan of the films you’re working on? And does being a fan help in the role?
Being a fan helps because it keeps you focused on what the audience will care about, and it raises the bar on quality. The balance is staying objective – you use that passion to protect the brand, but you still make choices based on what will resonate broadly and work for partners and retail.

Last question! Which Sony Pictures brand do you feel still remains relatively untapped licensing-wise, but that you feel has potential be to unlocked?
Sony has a deep library with real cultural staying power, and there are titles that could support more consumer products with the right modern approach. One example is Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, which has a lasting pop culture impact and is widely loved by audiences. This year the movie will be celebrating its 20-year anniversary, making it the perfect moment to expand the merchandising for the beloved comedy.

Great pick! Thanks again Jamie.

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