Hasbro Set To Acquire The POWER RANGERS Franchise & More From Saban Entertainment For $522 Million
Well, it looks like Disney and Fox aren't the only companies making major moves this year as it's now being reported that Hasbro has acquired the entire Power Rangers franchise and more from Saban Brands!
Reuters reported earlier today that Hasbro Inc. has officially acquired a number of popular entertainment and merchandising franchises, including the über-popular Power Rangers franchise, from Saban Entertainment for approximately $522 million. The deal is expected to close sometime during the second quarter of 2018, meaning before the end of June.
The toymaker had previously acquired the master toy license for Power Rangers in February and possessed an option to later acquire the entire franchise. However, while no one saw the deal coming to fruition this quickly, it's possible that their initial timeline was fast-tracked following Toys 'R' Us declaration of bankruptcy. With the acquisition nearly complete, it's expected to be a major asset as the world's largest toy maker attempts to reverse some of its losses after losing such a major retailer.
Outside of Power Rangers, Saban Brands also owns the rights to Beetleborgs, Digimon, Masked Rider, Cubix, VR Troopers, and more, so it's increasingly likely that those titles are among the number of franchises that are being transferred over to Hasbro. They'll join a strong catalog that already features Transformers, G.I. Joe, Battleship, My Little Pony, Micronauts, Dungeons & Dragons., Monopoly, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Magic: The Gathering, Play-Doh, Beyblade, Clue, Candy Land, Action Man, Furby, Rom the Spaceknight, M.A.S.K., and more.
As for whether or not we'll see any future Power Rangers films, that remains a big question mark moving forward, although it's probably unlikely that we'll ever see a Lionsgate-produced sequel since Hasbro has an exclusive partnership with Paramount Pictures. However, with Paramount currently seeking to launch a new franchise outside of Mission: Impossible and Transformers, it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that they'll at least attempt to bring the Rangers back to the big screen at some point in the not-so-distant future.
Hasbro has since confirmed the report and released the following statement from chairman and chief executive officer Brian Goldner, “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. 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.”
Haim Saban, the founder of Saban Brands and creator of Power Rangers, expressed his excitement at the new opportunity and seemingly confirmed that he'll remain involved in some capacity even though he'll no longer be calling the shots. “25 years after launching Power Rangers, I believe the future for this brand has never been greater. 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.”