June 4, 2010 (FinancialWire) — Iconix Brand Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ICON) said that it has completed the acquisition of the Peanuts brand and related assets of United Media Licensing, a division of United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

The deal was made through a newly formed joint venture company, Peanuts Worldwide LLC, owned 80% by Iconix and 20% by Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates, managed by the Schulz family.  

The company said that the purchase price for the acquisition was $175 million. Iconix said it funded its portion of the purchase price with cash on its balance sheet.  

Iconix said that the deal moves the company well beyond fashion into a true global brand management entity. Iconix now has a portfolio of brands with consumer products outside of fashion representing roughly one-third of the company's overall revenue.

In addition to Peanuts, Iconix has acquired the licensing and character representation for a number of character brands, including Dilbert and Fancy Nancy.

Peanuts currently has more than 1,200 licensing agreements including relationships with MetLife, Hallmark, Universal Studios, Warner Bros., Cedar Fair, H&M, Benetton, Old Navy, CVS and Walgreens.

The Peanuts brand is licensed in over 40 countries and generates annual retail sales of over $2 billion.  

New York-based Iconix owns, licenses and markets a portfolio of consumer brands including Joe Boxer, London Fog, Mossimo, Danskin, Ecko and others.

The company licenses its brands to a network of retailers and manufacturers in segments of retail distribution.

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