Back in February, just ahead of the 115th North American International Toy Fair, Hasbro revealed that they’d become the master licensee for Saban’s Power Rangers. Buried in the announcement was something that many missed, but I did not – the potential for Hasbro to acquire the whole franchise. Now that’s happened, and today Hasbro and Saban Properties LLC have announced that the companies have signed a definitive agreement for Hasbro to purchase Saban’s Power Rangers and several other entertainment brands, including My Pet Monster, Popples, Julius Jr., Luna Petunia, Treehouse Detectives and others, in a combination of cash and stock valued at $522 million.
“Power Rangers is an iconic brand built on a heritage of great storytelling and merchandising with tremendous upside potential when fully executed across Hasbro’s Brand Blueprint,” said Brian Goldner, Hasbro’s chairman and chief executive officer. “Shortly after entering into our licensing arrangement, it became clear that now was the time to begin investing in unlocking Power Rangers’ full potential. We see significant opportunity for Power Rangers across our entire Brand Blueprint, including toys and games, consumer products, digital gaming and entertainment, as well as geographically throughout our global retail footprint. We couldn’t be more pleased that Haim Saban will continue in a consulting role to further guide our development of this valuable property for the next generation of Power Rangers fans.”
“25 years after launching Power Rangers, I believe the future for this brand has never been greater,” said Haim Saban, founder of Saban Brands and creator of Power Rangers. “Hasbro’s leadership in innovation, storytelling and brand stewardship make it the perfect company to further develop the global reach and appeal of the Power Rangers property. I look forward to working with Brian and the team in the years to come.”
Created by Haim Saban and launched in 1993, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers quickly became a pop culture phenomenon. Today, Power Rangers is one of the longest running kids’ live-action series in television history with nearly 900 episodes produced to date. The TV series, currently in its 25th season with Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel, and feature films, including 2017’s movie with Lionsgate, follows the adventures of a group of ordinary teens who morph into superheroes and save the world from evil. Saban’s Power Rangers currently airs in 150 markets around the world and is translated into numerous languages.
The first set of Power Rangers products from Hasbro will be available in spring 2019. It should be noted that some of the other brands acquired have recently had toys produced by other makers, with Popples at Spin Master, Luna Petunia at Funrise and Julius Jr. via Mattel’s Fisher-Price. Expect those to be pulled in-house as well once the licensing agreements expire. This acquisition further positions Hasbro as a global entertainment company – not just a toymaker.
Stay tuned!
