The Paramount Skydance merger had a profound effect on the Star Trek brand and unfortunately, one company can no longer afford to create licensed products.
Tony Kim is the owner of Hero Within, an apparel company that manufactured quality Star Trek-themed jackets, hoodies, and other items. Unfortunately, Kim revealed in a recent interview that the company can longer afford the licensing cost since the merger leading to the Paramount Skydance Corporation earlier this year. Kim said of making the initial decision to create only licensed Trek apparel beginning in 2019 via TrekMovie.com:
“We had very little capacity for Star Trek while creating merch for Marvel and DC… We made the strategic decision to not continue with those other brands. Star Trek was my first love, and I wanted to focus our energy on making quality jackets for Trek fans.”
One of Hero Within's coolest products was their sold-out Premium Picard Field Jacket, which became a bestseller for the small business. Obviously, Kim didn't go into the numbers and admit how much more the license would cost, but he did touch on the tough choices behind the decision, saying in the same sit-down:
“We have been a longtime partner with Paramount and have really enjoyed working together for almost six years. Unfortunately, as a result of the Skydance merger, the increased cost of the Star Trek license became too much for our small business. We attempted to adapt, but with the down economy, inflation and the new tariffs, I came to the harsh reality that moving forward with Paramount would not be sustainable. I have loved working with their team and will miss creating Star Trek merchandise together with them.”
Most of Star Trek's most recent streaming content, including Discovery, Strange New Worlds, Picard, and Lower Decks inspired the products Hero Within created. Kim added with a heavy heart:
“All I ever wanted in life was to create something of value for a community that I love. I love Star Trek and I love Star Trek fan—so it deeply saddens me that we won’t be able to continue with Paramount. We are proud of our work over the past six years and hope that someday we be able to be a Paramount partner again.” (Continued...)