Authentic Brands Group has confirmed Liberated Brands will take on the license for a large chunk of Boardriders‘ businesses in a move that rapidly expands Liberated’s industry reach.

The long-term agreement, announced Wednesday, places Liberated in charge of U.S. and Canada retail and e-commerce for Quiksilver, Billabong, Roxy, RVCA, Honolua, and Boardriders.

This adds 87 stores to the Liberated fold, bringing the total store count it oversees to 202.

The deal also makes Liberated the U.S. and Canada licensee and wholesale distributor for the adult sportswear, activewear, swim, outerwear, headwear, and base layer categories under the Billabong, RVCA, and Honolua brands.

Authentic Brands Group officially closed on its $1.2 billion purchase of Boardriders earlier this month.

Wednesday’s deal confirms a July report by SES on the various licensing agreements in place for the Boardriders brands. The Liberated deal was one of the last to be officially signed.

Authentic and Liberated are not new to working with one another. Authentic is a minority owner in Liberated, which holds the license for Authentic’s Volcom and Spyder brands.

Liberated also owns Captain Fin, which it bought last year, and this summer it announced an apparel relaunch for the brand.

Authentic President and CMO Nick Woodhouse cited Liberated’s work with Volcom and Spyder as reasons the company is an “ideal partner” to take on the latest set of licenses.

“We are honored to step into the role as the key operating partner for this iconic group of brands and take on core categories for Billabong, RVCA, and Honolua,” Liberated CEO Todd Hymel said in a statement Wednesday. “This partnership marks an exciting chapter that taps into our company’s commitment to creating distinct brand experiences through product innovation. With a deep-rooted passion for the essence of each brand, we look forward to growing these brands in the US, Canada, and beyond.”

Authentic said it expects to make more announcements on future licensing partners.

SES in July reported licensing deals disclosed during a town hall with Boardriders employees, including O5 Apparel for Quiksilver wholesale and multiple partners for Roxy, such as the Levy Group and 2253 Apparel.

Kari Hamanaka can be reached at [email protected]. 

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