MARKET WIRE NEWS

Alliance Entertainment and Handmade by Robots to Showcase Expanding Collectibles Portfolio at New York Toy Fair 2026

MWN-AI** Summary

Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: AENT) is set to showcase an extensive array of licensed collectibles at the upcoming New York Toy Fair (NYTF) from February 14–17, 2026, held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. As a prominent distributor in the entertainment and pop culture merchandise sector, the company will highlight its expanding collectibles portfolio, with particular emphasis on its unique Handmade by Robots™ brand, renowned for its distinctive “knit-look” vinyl figures.

The company's distribution network spans over 35,000 retail and e-commerce outlets, providing a robust platform for a diverse catalog of over 340,000 unique stock-keeping units (SKUs), covering music, video, and gaming products in addition to collectibles. Recent partnerships with high-profile brands such as Weta Workshop and Super7 are reinforcing Alliance's commitment to delivering differentiated products, thereby bolstering its appeal to licensors and retailers.

Handmade by Robots™ will introduce new figures inspired by popular franchises like Sanrio®, Peanuts, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles during the NYTF. These collectibles are aimed at enhancing collector engagement and increasing sales through innovative formats.

Additionally, Alliance will unveil its Endstate Authentic platform, dedicated to next-generation authentication and the secure tracking of collectibles through NFC technology. This service promises to enhance transparency and reliability in secondary market transactions, addressing concerns of counterfeiting and ownership verification.

By participating in NYTF 2026, Alliance Entertainment aims to fortify connections with partners and enhance its market presence. Visitors can engage with the brand at Booth #5451, where exclusive previews and licensing strategies will be featured. Mike Schimmel, SVP of Collectibles, expressed excitement about leveraging the event to strengthen the Company's position in the collectibles market.

MWN-AI** Analysis

As Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: AENT) prepares for its exhibit at the New York Toy Fair (NYTF) from February 14-17, 2026, investors should closely monitor the company's strategic positioning and innovations, particularly in its collectibles sector. The combination of Alliance’s extensive distribution network, comprising over 35,000 retail and e-commerce outlets, with its licensing agreements and collaborations—with recognized brands like Weta Workshop and Super7—positions the company favorably in a growing marketplace for collectibles.

The recent acquisition of Handmade by Robots™ has quickly become a key strength, showcasing potential for significant revenue growth through its unique vinyl figures that resonate with fans of major franchises. Handcrafted aesthetics combined with popular licenses can drive both unit sales and margin expansion, particularly through new product launches at NYTF. Investors should pay attention to consumer engagement metrics and initial sell-through rates of the new figures tied to beloved franchises like Peanuts and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as these will provide insight into market demand.

Moreover, the introduction of Endstate Authentic, an advanced authentication platform, addresses key concerns of provenance and counterfeiting in the collectibles market. This not only builds trust with consumers but also enhances the secondary market potential—offering additional revenue streams that could boost average order values and create market inertia.

Looking ahead, investors may find significant upside as Alliance continues to innovate and expand its product offerings. The company's demonstrated ability to leverage popular culture, combined with its robust fulfillment model and focus on digital transformation, underscores a strategic advantage in capturing market share. In summary, AENT’s multi-faceted approach to collectibles—merging traditional merchandising with next-gen technology—offers a compelling investment narrative to watch as it unfolds at NYTF 2026 and beyond.

**MWN-AI Summary and Analysis is based on asking OpenAI to summarize and analyze this news release.

Source: GlobeNewswire

PLANTATION, Fla., Feb. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: AENT), a leading distributor and omnichannel fulfillment partner for entertainment and pop culture collectibles, announced today that it will exhibit at the New York Toy Fair (NYTF), taking place February 14–17, 2026 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. The Company will showcase its expanding licensed collectibles portfolio, including a featured presentation of Handmade by Robots™, its distinctive vinyl figure brand known for its proprietary “knit-look” aesthetic.

Alliance Entertainment: Powering Collectibles Across Channels

Alliance Entertainment serves more than 35,000 retail and e-commerce storefronts, providing a highly scaled distribution platform for music, video, gaming, and licensed collectibles. With a catalog exceeding 340,000 unique SKUs, the Company offers one of the industry’s broadest assortments, enabling licensors and manufacturers to efficiently reach mass, specialty, and direct-to-consumer channels.

Recent strategic initiatives include expanded partnerships and exclusive distribution arrangements with premium collectibles brands such as Weta Workshop, Super7, Master Replicas, Hiya Toys, and Good Smile, further strengthening Alliance’s position as a preferred partner for IP owners and retailers seeking differentiated product and reliable fulfillment.

Handmade by Robots™: A Differentiated Owned Brand

Acquired by Alliance in late 2024, Handmade by Robots has quickly become a meaningful contributor to the Company’s owned-brand strategy. The brand’s vinyl figures—designed to resemble hand-knitted characters—combine distinctive visual appeal with broad fan recognition, creating strong sell-through across multiple retail channels.

At NYTF 2026, Handmade by Robots will debut new figures tied to globally recognized franchises including Sanrio®, Wicked, Peanuts, Sonic the Hedgehog, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, along with limited-edition chase variants and new product formats designed to expand average order value and collector engagement.

Endstate Authentic: Next-Generation Authentication for Collectibles

Endstate Authentic, Alliance Entertainment’s recently launched authentication and digital product identity platform, will also be in attendance at the 2026 New York Toy Fair. The Endstate Authentic team will be on site to meet with forward-thinking toy companies, collectible brands, licensors, and industry partners exploring next-generation authentication, serialized collectibles, and secure secondary-market participation.

Endstate Authentic is Alliance’s dedicated platform for NFC-enabled product authentication, digital certificates of authenticity, and lifecycle tracking for physical collectibles. By embedding secure NFC technology directly into products and linking each item to a persistent digital identifier, Endstate Authentic enables real-time authentication, counterfeit prevention, ownership verification, and authenticated resale—without requiring custom hardware or changes to existing manufacturing, fulfillment, or commerce workflows.

As the collectibles ecosystem continues to evolve toward greater transparency, provenance, and secondary-market engagement, Endstate Authentic is designed to support the full lifecycle of premium physical goods, from initial sale through verified resale. At NYTF 2026, the team looks forward to connecting with grading companies, resale platforms, rights holders, and brands interested in secure authentication, serialized collectibles, and new revenue opportunities across both primary and secondary markets.

Visit Alliance Entertainment at Booth #5451

Alliance Entertainment and Handmade by Robots will exhibit at Booth #5451 on the lower level of the Javits Center. The booth will feature a dedicated meeting area for retail partners, licensors, and prospective customers. Highlights will include:

  • Exclusive Previews: First looks at upcoming Handmade by Robots figures and Alliance-exclusive collectibles.
  • Licensing Partnerships: Expanded partnerships across entertainment franchises, fueling fresh product innovation.
  • Retail Solutions: Alliance’s omnichannel capabilities designed to help retailers scale assortments and meet collector demand.
  • Authentication & Serialized Collectibles: Endstate Authentic’s NFC-enabled platform for secure authentication, digital certificates of authenticity, and lifecycle tracking.

“New York Toy Fair is the ultimate stage for showcasing creativity and connecting with both new and long-standing customers,” said Mike Schimmel, SVP Collectibles at Alliance Entertainment. “We’re excited to present Handmade by Robots alongside our broader portfolio, reinforcing our commitment to delivering unique, high-quality collectibles to fans everywhere.”

Schedule a Meeting Today
To book an appointment with our team during NYTF, please reach out to AccountDevelopment@aent.com. Secure your spot now and discover how Alliance can help grow your collectibles business.

For more information, visit https://www.aent.com and www.handmadebyrobots.com.

About Alliance Entertainment

Alliance Entertainment (NASDAQ: AENT) is a premier distributor and fulfillment partner for the entertainment and pop culture collectibles industry. With more than 340,000 unique in-stock SKUs — including over 57,300 exclusive titles across compact discs, vinyl LPs, DVDs, Blu-rays, and video games — Alliance offers the largest selection of physical media in the market. Our vast catalog also includes licensed merchandise, toys, retro gaming products, and collectibles, serving over 35,000 retail locations and powering e-commerce fulfillment for leading retailers. Alliance also owns and operates proprietary collectibles brands, including Handmade by Robots™, a stylized vinyl figure line featuring licensed characters from leading entertainment franchises, and Alliance Authentic™, a premium platform for authentic, certified, and individually numbered entertainment collectibles. In addition, Alliance operates Endstate Authentic, a dedicated NFC-enabled authentication and digital product identity platform supporting authenticated collectibles, resale, and brand protection. Leveraging decades of operational expertise, exclusive sourcing relationships, and a capital-light, scalable infrastructure, Alliance connects fans and collectors to the products, franchises, and experiences they value across formats and generations. For more information, visit www.aent.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this Press Release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “plan,” “predict,” “potential,” “seem,” “seek,” “future,” “outlook,” and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding estimates and forecasts of other financial and performance metrics and projections of market opportunity. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether identified in this Press Release, and on the current expectations of Alliance’s management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as and must not be relied on by an investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction, or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Alliance. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including risks relating to the anticipated growth rates and market opportunities; changes in applicable laws or regulations; the ability of Alliance to execute its business model, including market acceptance of its systems and related services; Alliance’s reliance on a concentration of suppliers for its products and services; increases in Alliance’s costs, disruption of supply, or shortage of products and materials; Alliance’s dependence on a concentration of customers, and failure to add new customers or expand sales to Alliance’s existing customers; increased Alliance inventory and risk of obsolescence; Alliance’s significant amount of indebtedness; our ability to refinance our existing indebtedness; our ability to continue as a going concern absent access to sources of liquidity; risks that a breach of the revolving credit facility could result in the lender declaring a default and that the full outstanding amount under the revolving credit facility could be immediately due in full, which would have severe adverse consequences for the Company; known or future litigation and regulatory enforcement risks, including the diversion of time and attention and the additional costs and demands on Alliance’s resources; Alliance’s business being adversely affected by increased inflation, uncertainty regarding tariffs, higher interest rates and other adverse economic, business, and/or competitive factors; geopolitical risk and changes in applicable laws or regulations; as well as our financial condition and results of operations; substantial regulations, which are evolving, and unfavorable changes or failure by Alliance to comply with these regulations; product liability claims, which could harm Alliance’s financial condition and liquidity if Alliance is not able to successfully defend or insure against such claims; availability of additional capital to support business growth; and the inability of Alliance to develop and maintain effective internal controls.

For investor inquiries, please contact:

Dave Gentry
RedChip Companies, Inc.
1-800-REDCHIP (733-2447)
1-407-644-4256
AENT@redchip.com


FAQ**

How does Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation AENT plan to leverage its expanding licensed collectibles portfolio to capture market share during events like the New York Toy Fair?
Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation (AENT) plans to leverage its expanding licensed collectibles portfolio by showcasing exclusive products at high-visibility events like the New York Toy Fair, aiming to attract collectors and retailers while increasing brand recognition and market share.
What specific strategies is Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation AENT implementing to strengthen its partnerships with premium collectibles brands moving forward?
Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation AENT is focusing on collaborative marketing initiatives, enhanced distribution channels, and integrating technology to improve customer engagement, thereby strengthening its partnerships with premium collectibles brands.
Can you provide insights into the expected impact of Endstate Authentic on the secondary market and resale opportunities for Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation AENT's products?
Endstate Authentic is likely to enhance the secondary market and resale opportunities for Alliance Entertainment’s products by boosting brand recognition and consumer demand, potentially increasing the value and turnover of collectibles and merchandise associated with AENT.
In what ways does Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation AENT foresee its Handmade by Robots™ brand evolving to enhance collector engagement and average order value?
Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation anticipates evolving its Handmade by Robots™ brand through enhanced product offerings, limited editions, interactive community experiences, and exclusive merchandise, all aimed at strengthening collector engagement and increasing average order value.

**MWN-AI FAQ is based on asking OpenAI questions about Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: AENT).

Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation

NASDAQ: AENT

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