"Power Rangers" sold to Hasbro for $522 million...did Peter get a bad deal with Nick?

[Andrew NDB]

I know this is being talked about in the Power Rangers thread, but I think it deserves its own thread as it's... if not infuriating, then a bit puzzling. At least, to me.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/b8/49/dd/b849dd02346ab15904242f9b1d073001.jpg

https://newsroom.hasbro.com/news-releases/news-release-details/hasbro-acquire-saban-brands-power-rangers-and-other

How in the world does "Power Rangers" get sold en masse for $522 million... when all rights to TMNT gets sold en masse for $63 million... even in 2009? Does nobody else see the madness in this?

Is "Power Rangers" really worth over 8 times what TMNT is?

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Power Rangers definitely isn't worth as much... except it turns out that it was.

I dunno, I always figured Laird wanted out and lost the TMNT fire in the belly, somebody offered him money allowing him to live in comfort the rest of his life, why haggle, BOOM. The man exited, stage right.

[d_osborn]

Sounds like the deal is for all Saban IPs and their entire content library. The TMNT library wasn't controlled by Mirage-- the movie, the old cartoons, etc. weren't part of the Nick deal. Nick only bought the IP to produce new content. I'm guessing that plays a huge part in the higher cost.

[newfan]

Hasbro seemed to think so. Shocking difference. Maybe it being sold during a successful? revival gave more weight? otherwise I don't know, I wouldn't have the thought turtles could be worth so much less but I don't know enough about what's involved, I've never cared about PR.

[oldmanwinters]

Maybe Viacom also assumed a number of debts on Mirage or 4Kids? Back in 2009, I thought $63 million seemed like a steal, but I obviously don't know all the details of the contract.

[Candy Kappa]

Power Rangers is bigger then Ninja Turtles in sheer scope, iterations and just amount of material considering Power Rangers more or less gets to mine their IP from already existing Sentai stuff, that's 40+ years of material right there to mine from a franchise that's technically just 25 years old.

Plus, they also bought My Pet Monster, Julius Junior, Tree House detective and ****ing Popples!

[Andrew NDB]

Maybe Viacom also assumed a number of debts on Mirage or 4Kids?

Why would they have any debts?

[Krutch]

Think of how much more it would have gone for if the movie was a big success.

[oldmanwinters]

Why would they have any debts?

Didn't Laird basically pay a chunk of his own money to bring the last season of the 4Kids show to completion?

And, of course, it was widely assumed (maybe even confirmed in the letter columns) that Mirage published Volume 4 comics at a loss.

Or maybe the 25th Anniversary tour ended up costing more than the reported budget of 1 million?

[Andrew NDB]

Didn't Laird basically pay a chunk of his own money to bring the last season of the 4Kids show to completion?

Not that I know of. But even if he did, and he paid out of pocket for that... how would it be a debt?

And, of course, it was widely assumed (maybe even confirmed in the letter columns) that Mirage published Volume 4 comics at a loss.

Probably. As in Peter was paying the artists and printing the books and not seeing a profit towards the end. But again, this isn't a debt.

Or maybe the 25th Anniversary tour ended up costing more than the reported budget of 1 million?

Maybe. But still not a debt. Who would money still be owed to that wasn't paid?

[oldmanwinters]

Not that I know of. But even if he did, and he paid out of pocket for that... how would it be a debt?



Probably. As in Peter was paying the artists and printing the books and not seeing a profit towards the end. But again, this isn't a debt.



Maybe. But still not a debt. Who would money still be owed to that wasn't paid?

I dunno. *shrugs*

[Panda_Kahn_fan]

Yes, Power Rangers is just that valuable. Power rangers is the equivalent/adaptation for the Japanese Super Sentai series for the rest of the world outside of East Asia. As someone who works in retail, I can tell you Power Rangers has a larger merchandising and licensing revenue stream now, than TMNT did before the Nickelodeon buyout. Power Rangers is an evergreen property that turns over every year or two, with new toys, new characters, and a whole new genre theme built into each season; basically, each season is like a brand new super hero team with anew set of villains, and the merchandise has to be bought all over again. TMNT, while personally I think a more interesting property, doesn't self -renew for the kiddies the way PR does every year or so.

In short, TMNT's artisitc value may or may not outweigh power rangers, but Power Rangers is monetarily the more valuable brand. Or rather, Power rangers is more valuable now, than TMNT was at the time of laird's sale. Also, as others have said, Hasbro is gettign all the past Power Ranger media and content, along other brands owned by saban, in the sale.

[neatoman]

Maybe I'll sound like an asshole for saying this, but how is a license contract and a trademark worth 522 million dollars?

Power Rangers isn't really an IP itself, it's more like a license to distribute/produce Super Sentai material outside of Japan. The exclusive rights to hack a Japanese kids' show to pieces and splice in footage of New Zealanders pretending to be American, that's really all they're getting in addition to the name Power Rangers. It can't be worth 522 million dollars. "Owning" Power Rangers is basically meaningless unless you also own Super Sentai. Otherwise Toei might not renew the license and someone else might "create" a "new" show under a different name, like Saban did in the first place.

[LeotheLateBloomer]

Think of how much more it would have gone for if the movie was a big success.

What are the chances of a sequel to the 2017 movie? Would Hasbro continue it as a film series?

[Andrew NDB]

What are the chances of a sequel to the 2017 movie? Would Hasbro continue it as a film series?

0. The first one lost a lot of money.

[The Deadman]

What are the chances of a sequel to the 2017 movie? Would Hasbro continue it as a film series?

Yes, considering Hasbro wants to turn all of the properties they own into films. Would it be a direct sequel? Dont know, but if they're wanting more Transformers films to hit the market, why cant Power Rangers.

[Andrew NDB]

Yes, considering Hasbro wants to turn all of the properties they own into films. Would it be a direct sequel? Dont know, but if they're wanting more Transformers films to hit the market, why cant Power Rangers.

Yeah, pretty good odds they try to do a reboot at some point.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Is it finally time for Hasbro to buy tmnt now?

(You know what I mean Indigoearth :P)

[Krutch]

The movie wasn't bad for what it was. I would have liked to see a sequel but I'm not exactly heartbroken over not getting one either.

[Panda_Kahn_fan]

Maybe I'll sound like an asshole for saying this, but how is a license contract and a trademark worth 522 million dollars?

Power Rangers isn't really an IP itself, it's more like a license to distribute/produce Super Sentai material outside of Japan. The exclusive rights to hack a Japanese kids' show to pieces and splice in footage of New Zealanders pretending to be American, that's really all they're getting in addition to the name Power Rangers. It can't be worth 522 million dollars. "Owning" Power Rangers is basically meaningless unless you also own Super Sentai. Otherwise Toei might not renew the license and someone else might "create" a "new" show under a different name, like Saban did in the first place.

Actually, the Power Rangers IP also includes the American-exclusive rangers (titanium, the spirit rangers), villains (lord Zedd, Ransik, Dviatox), characters (zordon, Alpha) the American civilian identities and names (Tommy, Jason, Kimberly, trini, etc.), and the American exclusive names and story elements.

Say Hasbro were to buy out Toei's stake in the PR IP, and separate it from super sentai. MMPR could easily be remade, with redesign of the Zords and monsters (minus Zedd and the tengas, who could remain unchanged) and removing all Sentai visual elements. Rita Repulsa, goldar, scorpina, and the others could still be there, just after a radical redesign.

[IndigoErth]

Is it finally time for Hasbro to buy tmnt now?

(You know what I mean Indigoearth :P)
:tlol: That crossover, huh?


Maybe TMNT sold for a lot less, but it at least got them into new hands easier (I assume?) and became profitable for their new owner FAR sooner. $522 million sounds insane, but I guess maybe to a toy company it's worth it... But imagine how much product, etc they're going to have to sell first to get that back before it technically can start becoming profitable... wow.

Not so sure I'd want TMNT solely owned by a toy company.

[Andrew NDB]

Not so sure I'd want TMNT solely owned by a toy company.

Why not? They basically are now.

[CyberCubed]

People here legitimately seem to have no idea how large some kids franchises are. For example the Pokemon franchise has made more money worldwide than Star Wars, and Pokemon only came out in 1997 whereas Star Wars has a 20+ year headstart on it since it came out in 1978.

Harry Potter, Spongebob, etc. probably made more money worldwide than TMNT.

[Panda_Kahn_fan]

People here legitimately seem to have no idea how large some kids franchises are. For example the Pokemon franchise has made more money worldwide than Star Wars, and Pokemon only came out in 1997 whereas Star Wars has a 20+ year headstart on it since it came out in 1978.

Harry Potter, Spongebob, etc. probably made more money worldwide than TMNT.

While this statement is not entirely accurate, it is indeed very close to the truth.

[Andrew NDB]

Harry Potter, Spongebob, etc. probably made more money worldwide than TMNT.

Sure, those are multi-billion dollar things... but Power Rangers...?

I guess maybe I'm not seeing the big picture here. Maybe it's because the TMNT has never had a "huge" hit with any movies, and only the toys make the big money... and that new toys don't necessarily guarantee more big money.

[neatoman]

Actually, the Power Rangers IP also includes the American-exclusive rangers (titanium, the spirit rangers), villains (lord Zedd, Ransik, Dviatox), characters (zordon, Alpha) the American civilian identities and names (Tommy, Jason, Kimberly, trini, etc.), and the American exclusive names and story elements.

Say Hasbro were to buy out Toei's stake in the PR IP, and separate it from super sentai. MMPR could easily be remade, with redesign of the Zords and monsters (minus Zedd and the tengas, who could remain unchanged) and removing all Sentai visual elements. Rita Repulsa, goldar, scorpina, and the others could still be there, just after a radical redesign.

I mean, technically yes, they do gain a few characters and what not. But Power Rangers is still little more than an extension of Sentai. Every single season produced is just this bizarre dub-remake hybrid abomination, rather than something made from the ground up.

To be honest, I think the only reason it has 25 seasons is precisely because of how cheap this glorified dubbing probably is.

[Panda_Kahn_fan]

Sure, those are multi-billion dollar things... but Power Rangers...?

I guess maybe I'm not seeing the big picture here. Maybe it's because the TMNT has never had a "huge" hit with any movies, and only the toys make the big money... and that new toys don't necessarily guarantee more big money.

One of the big factors is consistency of revenue.Power rangers remains roughly a consistent $350 million a year in revenue, while turtles may go high in some years, it can also drop off. The year the nick sale happened, TMNT was at a low Ebb, the 4kids show having just ended, and merchandise and licensing declining all across the board. Right now, during the sale to Hasbro, Power Rangers enjoys a high level of success worldwide.

The selling price isn't just figured what an IP has the potential to earn, but what it has recently proven to earn. Power ranger's constant seasonal turnover, compared to TMNT's turn over every 3-7 years, is a more consistent stream of revenue, thus making PR more valuable in that regard.

[Panda_Kahn_fan]

I mean, technically yes, they do gain a few characters and what not. But Power Rangers is still little more than an extension of Sentai. Every single season produced is just this bizarre dub-remake hybrid abomination, rather than something made from the ground up.

To be honest, I think the only reason it has 25 seasons is precisely because of how cheap this glorified dubbing probably is.

First of all, as someone who has seen all the seasons of Sentai and power rangers going back to Zyu/mighty morphing... no. Super Sentai is not some high work of Japanese art that saban butchered. Super Sentai is a toy-driven kiddy show, that sometimes can get goofier than power rangers ever does. Yes, some seasons of Sentai are superior to PR, but some seasons are terrible, with far supeior power rangers counterparts, both shows are a mixed bag.Toei sees Super Sentai as a kiddie show- their big boy show that gets all the attention/makes all the money is kamen rider. And PR survived because it has remained a consistent stream of revenue for over two decades.

[MikeandRaph87]

When Nick bought TMNT intellectual property rights "lock, stock, and barrel" what did not go with it? TMNT 1987 distribution rights and viseo distribution rights, first three films, and Next Mutation distribution rights?

[sdp]

I already posted a lot of these points on the Power Rangers thread but since that I've learned a lot more, Panda Khan has also been right in all his posts, so I"ll break it down to points below but for the TLDR: Hasbro bought more than just PRs and yes TMNT could've sold for more.

*Peter Laird likely sold TMNT for "cheap" (60 mill) to get out, also TMNT had no future plans, if he head shopped around more maybe he could've gotten more interest, especially if TMNT had future plans.

*Saban Brands bought Power Rangers from Disney for 100 million, Disney likely sold cheap since they didn't want to deal with Toei anymore and had just bought Marvel

*Saban Brands had 500 million in investment money, they bought many other brands including Julius for 50 million, Popples, My Pet Monster, rights for animes etc. Also Power Rangers still has a 3 year Nickelodeon deal

*Hasbro bought all of Saban's Brands, Power Rangers just happens to be the biggest one but between what Saban spent that we know it was already 150 mill from just PRs and Julius, surely the other brands were cheaper but they add up. With this in mind it's no longer "500 mill for Power Rangers!!1"

*Power Ranger has been on the air for 25 years with toys on the shelves always, they've had good and bad years but have been #1 boys best seller many years including when 2k3 was airing. PR does have wider appeal worldwide. TMNT was only ever a huge hit with the OT, 2k3 was successful but those two shows can't match PRs over their whole time.

*Hasbro wants to make their cinematic universe a reality and besides GI Joe/Transformers they have no real big brands. This deal gives them nearly 900 episodes of PRs among other properties that also have shows (VR Troopers.

*Even though they spent 500 million on Power Rangers, they still don't control the property, Toei has a big stake and basically co-own power rangers and can shot down any crazy ideas Hasbro may have :lol:

*This means Hasbro officially owns Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation, which is not new to Hasbro since when they had their channel The Hub The Next Mutation also aired with other Hasbro cartoons.

[Wildcat]

I think Peter probably did fine. Hasbro bought more than just PR.

I agree with others that PR is far more consistent than TMNT and has a bigger backlog. So I think it makes sense for the most part.

The only thing I wondered about when I saw this news was Super Sentai. Like PR is just an American version. How does that work?

Anyway what I did not think of was possible crossovers...Transformers meet the Power Rangers? Transformer Zords? Mind blown :o Make it happen Hasbro!

[CyberCubed]

Power Rangers also has like 1,000 episodes, TMNT does not. And remember Viacom doesn't actually own the original cartoon, so all they got was the 2k3 series prior to creating their own cartoons.

[neatoman]

First of all, as someone who has seen all the seasons of Sentai and power rangers going back to Zyu/mighty morphing... no. Super Sentai is not some high work of Japanese art that saban butchered. Super Sentai is a toy-driven kiddy show, that sometimes can get goofier than power rangers ever does. Yes, some seasons of Sentai are superior to PR, but some seasons are terrible, with far supeior power rangers counterparts, both shows are a mixed bag.Toei sees Super Sentai as a kiddie show- their big boy show that gets all the attention/makes all the money is kamen rider. And PR survived because it has remained a consistent stream of revenue for over two decades.

I never said that Sentai was "some high work of Japanese art that saban butchered". I just said that Power Rangers rely on it.

Here's the point. Most of the suits, props, pyrotechnics, CGI and whatever else has already been made and filmed before hand. All Disney/Saban ever had to do (in theory) is cut out the scenes lacking extensive SFX, so they could film non-union actors on New Zealand in it's place.

Of course you're always going to turn a profit with corner cutting like that.

[Krutch]

*This means Hasbro officially owns Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation, which is not new to Hasbro since when they had their channel The Hub The Next Mutation also aired with other Hasbro cartoons.
So you're saying when they roll out their cinematic universe it'll consist of G.I. Joe, Transformers, Power Rangers, and...NT: TNM? Sold! :lol:

[Panda_Kahn_fan]

I never said that Sentai was "some high work of Japanese art that saban butchered". I just said that Power Rangers rely on it.

Here's the point. Most of the suits, props, pyrotechnics, CGI and whatever else has already been made and filmed before hand. All Disney/Saban ever had to do (in theory) is cut out the scenes lacking extensive SFX, so they could film non-union actors on New Zealand in it's place.

Of course you're always going to turn a profit with corner cutting like that.

Okay, I understand what you are saying now. Yes, you do have a point of the money-saving of using premade sets, costumes, and props, along with some Japanese footage.

[LeotheLateBloomer]

Yes, Power Rangers is just that valuable. Power rangers is the equivalent/adaptation for the Japanese Super Sentai series for the rest of the world outside of East Asia. As someone who works in retail, I can tell you Power Rangers has a larger merchandising and licensing revenue stream now, than TMNT did before the Nickelodeon buyout. Power Rangers is an evergreen property that turns over every year or two, with new toys, new characters, and a whole new genre theme built into each season; basically, each season is like a brand new super hero team with anew set of villains, and the merchandise has to be bought all over again. TMNT, while personally I think a more interesting property, doesn't self -renew for the kiddies the way PR does every year or so.

In short, TMNT's artisitc value may or may not outweigh power rangers, but Power Rangers is monetarily the more valuable brand. Or rather, Power rangers is more valuable now, than TMNT was at the time of laird's sale. Also, as others have said, Hasbro is gettign all the past Power Ranger media and content, along other brands owned by saban, in the sale.

It's funny because I see kids wearing TMNT clothing than PR but more kids holding Power Rangers action figures than TMNT.

[CyberCubed]

As said the difference is TMNT comics aren't popular with kids (obviously) and the TMNT cartoons eventually end. Power Rangers more or less goes on forever and never stops, similar to Pokemon or other shows that consistently go on.

Likewise the height of TMNT's popularity was 1984-1992. By 1993 the TMNT fad was ending hence disappointing box office returns of TMNT III, the original cartoon heading toward its final seasons, and the Mirage comics eventually stopping by 1995 to the switch with Image where it never sold well.

And that was like....25+ years ago now.

[Vegita-San]

Is "Power Rangers" really worth over 8 times what TMNT is?

as much as I hate to say it, it HAS had a new show on for almost 20 years straight. not saying those are good, but that might account for it.

I never understood the power rangers fad. it always looked cheap and badly done and even as a kid i could never get past it. it just didn't look cool.

Turtles to me looked far cooler.

what i don't get. why would saban buy it back a few years ago and then turn around and sell it again? iirc

[Ninjinister]

TMNT is way more niche than Power Rangers.

[sdp]

Power Rangers definitely has a bigger fandom, look at all the sites dedicated to Power Rangers and their own convention. TMNT can't even compare.

Now I do think TMNT might be liked by more "casual" adult "fans" who grew up with the OT while Power Rangers for the longest time wasn't accepted by the adult fan, it's only recent (https://miscrave.com/articles/power-rangers-are-cool/) that Power Rangers nostalgia is cool.

So yeah, it's a bit weird, I do think TMNT is more iconic and well known but might be seen like an artist that has a one hit wonder every once in a while and people love while Power Rangers has just been more consistent with new fans so they're like that one band that has somehow released many records after their first few hits without you even realizing and yet they have a consistent fanbase.

[ZariusTwo]

Power Rangers also has like 1,000 episodes, TMNT does not.

Incidentally, the 700th episode of the show in 2009 was also the finale of the Disney era and the only time the show had ever been properly cancelled.

[TurtleWA]

PR deal should have been half as much and TMNT should have been double. PR $261 and TMNT $126. One was over-priced and one was underpriced. I mentioned in a different thread I wouldn’t have sold TMNT for less than $100.

[CyberCubed]

If it sold for $522 million it was for a reason. I'm sure shareholders, lawyers, CEO's and people who work with multiple Japanese companies know more than forum dwellers online.

[TurtleWA]

Could be truth to that. However some people are better at negotiating than others.

[sdp]

Just because you feel something is worth more/less doesn't mean that's what it's going for. Anyone who can negotiate the things you're proposing would be rich and would always have a job.

[veemonjosh]

Keep in mind that Hasbro didn't just buy Power Rangers from this deal, they also bought a dozen other IPs including My Pet Monster, Julius Jr, and Popples, all of which I could easily see Hasbro making new toylines from. So the amount they spent may not make sense when just looking at it as Power Rangers, but all things taken into account, it's a fair price.

[neatoman]

Okay, I understand what you are saying now. Yes, you do have a point of the money-saving of using premade sets, costumes, and props, along with some Japanese footage.

The weirdest thing about all of this, is that I don't understand why they don't just straight up dub the shows. The new footage is probably cheap but it's still a rather unnecessary expense.

[ZariusTwo]

The weirdest thing about all of this, is that I don't understand why they don't just straight up dub the shows. The new footage is probably cheap but it's still a rather unnecessary expense.

At one point during Samurai's production, the showrunner wanted to dub it, but was overruled.

Power Rangers has often been praised for mixing in originality with the source material. It's what sets it apart from Sentai and has led to the more creative and acclaimed seasons like In Space, Lost Galaxy, and RPM.

[CyberCubed]

The weirdest thing about all of this, is that I don't understand why they don't just straight up dub the shows. The new footage is probably cheap but it's still a rather unnecessary expense.

Because then the actors would all be Japanese. Do you really think a show with all Asian actors would have caught on in the west?

The difference with anime is most anime characters don't look Asian. But this is real people.

[pferreira]

Is "Power Rangers" really worth over 8 times what TMNT is?Yeah I do think he got a fair deal. Power Rangers is a bigger brand. TMNT at the moment is more on the level of My Little Pony in how big it is. Saban is clever: he was able to re-market a show with minimal cost and make more than it cost to make. There was no way he could break even or have the series underperform. Which leads me onto:

as much as I hate to say it, it HAS had a new show on for almost 20 years straight. not saying those are good, but that might account for it.This! I agree with this paragraph. Unlike TMNT Power Rangers is more out there because it's on every year.

Power Rangers isn't really an IP itself, it's more like a license to distribute/produce Super Sentai material outside of Japan. Yes and no. It is a simple matter of distribution however plots and characters are obviously altered by writers on Power Rangers. It's not a simple dub of the Japanese version. In that sense it is it's own IP.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

TMNT at the moment is more on the level of My Little Pony in how big it is.

I think the latter is far bigger at this time. Its show is going to have atleast 8 seasons, 195 episodes with no indication of wearing out, their own spin offs/IDW comics, had a theatrical film that was a modest box office success and the merchandise completely blows tmnt out of the water in terms of sales etc.

Its a bit sad thinking that tmnt isn't as popular nowdays as some of us tend to subconsciously think it is. The Fred Wolf era was truly something, when tmnt dominated literally everything.

[CyberCubed]

Yeah, TMNT never really managed to have continual overwhelming success like other kids fads like Power Rangers, Pokemon, etc. that literally never stop being popular even with old fans becoming adults and new kids replacing them for the newer incarnations.

In 30+ years we've only had 3 TMNT cartoons, and I'm surprised Nick is starting a reboot so quickly after the 2012 series ended. I expected them to let the franchise rest for awhile.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Yeah, TMNT never really managed to have continual overwhelming success like other kids fads like Power Rangers, Pokemon, etc. that literally never stop being popular even with old fans becoming adults and new kids replacing them for the newer incarnations.

In 30+ years we've only had 3 TMNT cartoons, and I'm surprised Nick is starting a reboot so quickly after the 2012 series ended. I expected them to let the franchise rest for awhile.

I really get the vibe that Rise of the Tmnt is trying to replicate turtlemania.

Not to say the other tmnt shows didn't try to be popular by selling toys, but Rise seems to take it to another step by making a much more lighthearted show like the show that launched the franchise into pop culture, and making it more accessible to kids by making an episodic show with 11 minute episodes as opposed to the 22 minutes serialized episodes from Nick and 4Kids.

[CyberCubed]

Now Toys R Us is out of business so there's even less place to sell toys now. Basically just Walmart, Target and a few other shows.

Plus kids of today don't play with toys much anymore, they move to electronics like ipads and mobile phones much quicker, or just watch youtube. The days of kids playing with action figures regularly has ended.

[pferreira]

I think the latter is far bigger at this time. Its show is going to have atleast 8 seasons, 195 episodes with no indication of wearing out, their own spin offs/IDW comics, had a theatrical film that was a modest box office success and the merchandise completely blows tmnt out of the water in terms of sales etc.Not sure. Would you say it's as big as Power Rangers as a brand or Pokemon? If not then it's about as big as TMNT.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Not sure. Would you say it's as big as Power Rangers as a brand or Pokemon? If not then it's about as big as TMNT.

I'd say tmnt nowdays is comparable to Transformers in terms of Hasbro properties while Mlp is a mini-spongebob of sorts by being Hasbro's biggest cash cow.

If we're talking about tmnt in its prime however, then I'd definetly agree that the current gen of mlp is about as big as Fred Wolf tmnt was back in the day.

[CyberCubed]

Not sure. Would you say it's as big as Power Rangers as a brand or Pokemon? If not then it's about as big as TMNT.

Pokemon has grossed more revenue than Star Wars worldwide and that's in half the time since Pokemon didn't come out till 1996 whereas Star Wars came out in 1977 over 20 years before.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_highest-grossing_media_franchises

https://www.gamespot.com/forums/system-wars-314159282/pokemon-is-the-highest-grossing-media-franchise-of-33416688/

http://www.tvovermind.com/pokemon/pokemon-grossed-billions-entire-star-wars-franchise

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/7a5tji/til_that_pokemon_is_the_highestgrossing_media/?st=jgu484va&sh=fc06f86d

[neatoman]

Pokemon has grossed more revenue than Star Wars worldwide and that's in half the time since Pokemon didn't come out till 1996 whereas Star Wars came out in 1977 over 20 years before.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_highest-grossing_media_franchises

https://www.gamespot.com/forums/system-wars-314159282/pokemon-is-the-highest-grossing-media-franchise-of-33416688/

http://www.tvovermind.com/pokemon/pokemon-grossed-billions-entire-star-wars-franchise

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/7a5tji/til_that_pokemon_is_the_highestgrossing_media/?st=jgu484va&sh=fc06f86d

That's just under 20 years, not over.

[BartAllen]

Now Toys R Us is out of business so there's even less place to sell toys now. Basically just Walmart, Target and a few other shows.

Plus kids of today don't play with toys much anymore, they move to electronics like ipads and mobile phones much quicker, or just watch youtube. The days of kids playing with action figures regularly has ended.

I'm not sure about much in this thread, but I have a lot of nieces and nephews. None of them played with toys the way I did. They were all much more into their electronic devices.

[MrPliggins]

I had no idea Power Rangers has been airing new episodes consistently for 20+ years. I guess it does make sense.

[sdp]

I had no idea Pokemon was bigger than Star Wars, wow.

I had no idea Power Rangers has been airing new episodes consistently for 20+ years. I guess it does make sense.

Me neither, but I found out back in 2005 :lol: What's best is that it's all in continuity and we get past rangers that come back from time to time.

[Powder]

Pokemon has grossed more revenue than Star Wars worldwide and that's in half the time since Pokemon didn't come out till 1996 whereas Star Wars came out in 1977 over 20 years before.


That makes me happy.

[CyberCubed]

I don't see why people are surprised. Prior to the Disney Star Wars movies, Star Wars was basically just 6 movies and comic books and novels and toys. And the prequel movies didn't come out for 15+ years after the originals.

Every mainline pokemon game averages 15-16 million copies at the minimum, the anime has aired continuously for over 20+ years, and all the tie in stuff like the TCG, merch, toys, plushes and spinoff games adds to this. It's pretty funny people think Pokemon is some fad that died out in the early 2000's, whereas it's remained tremendously popular for over 20+ years.

[Prowler]

I don't see why people are surprised. Prior to the Disney Star Wars movies, Star Wars was basically just 6 movies and comic books and novels and toys. And the prequel movies didn't come out for 15+ years after the originals.

Every mainline pokemon game averages 15-16 million copies at the minimum, the anime has aired continuously for over 20+ years, and all the tie in stuff like the TCG, merch, toys, plushes and spinoff games adds to this. It's pretty funny people think Pokemon is some fad that died out in the early 2000's, whereas it's remained tremendously popular for over 20+ years.
Actually, I think Star Wars grew more as a franchise when the prequels came out. That's when it became a bigger marketing juggernaut. You're giving Disney too much credit. I remember a lot of Star Wars related stuff coming out in the previous decade. Including a cartoon about the Clone Wars on Cartoon Network. And ofc video games such as KOTOR. But tbh there were already Star Wars video games in the 90s.

I had no idea pokémon made more money than SW. Never even had thought about it. But it doesn't really matter, anyway. Both are juggernauts of pop culture.

[pferreira]

I'd say tmnt nowdays is comparable to Transformers in terms of Hasbro properties while Mlp is a mini-spongebob of sorts by being Hasbro's biggest cash cow. Wasn't the MLP movie from last year successful?

I don't see why people are surprised. Prior to the Disney Star Wars movies, Star Wars was basically just 6 movies and comic books and novels and toys. And the prequel movies didn't come out for 15+ years after the originals.Bottom line is even Lucas knew when enough was enough and didn't put out Star Wars films year after year.

I had no idea Power Rangers has been airing new episodes consistently for 20+ years. I guess it does make sense.Not consistently. For a couple of years Saban threw in the towel because he saw sense. :lol:

[Andrew NDB]

Wasn't the MLP movie from last year successful?

Not remotely. It lost about 50 million dollars.

The cost:
120 million dollar production budget
20 million dollar marketing budget (best guess, probably more)
140 cost, total

What it made:
85 million domestically -- which comes to about 60 million after theater takes
57 internationally -- which comes to 28.5 or less, since international BO means only half or less profit to the studio
Grand total gross profit: 142 million total
Grand total net profit: -51.50 million

[sdp]

Another thing to note about Power Rangers is that unlike TMNT, DC, Marvel or other western franchises it continues to evolve. Since they are bound by Sentai and the Japanese are not as big on rebooting characters and prefer legacy they have to change the team almost every year. for the past 25 years.

You don't have different versions of Batman, you literally have new Red rangers with different powers and origins that tell their story and pass the torch to the next set of characters. How many of us would love to see our favorite heroes grow old and not just some elseworld tale that isn't canon.


Not consistently. For a couple of years Saban threw in the towel because he saw sense. :lol:

What do you mean? When Saban sold Power Rangers the first time? He did so to become a billionaire, he sold his entire assets of Fox Kids and everything else. Once he bought the franchise back from Disney (At a discount) he never stopped making shows.

Even Disney when they cancelled the show they still had "new" episodes with the "new" 2.0 remix of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers before the Saban deal and now with Hasbro acquiring we'll have a new season in 2019 right after the current season finishes airing later this year.

So yeah, it's been continiously on the air with new episodes and if you don't count the 2.0 remaster of MMPR then it was only one year off and that was Disney not Saban.

Not remotely. It lost about 50 million dollars.

The cost:
120 million dollar production budget
20 million dollar marketing budget (best guess, probably more)
140 cost, total

What it made:
85 million domestically -- which comes to about 60 million after theater takes
57 internationally -- which comes to 28.5 or less, since international BO means only half or less profit to the studio
Grand total gross profit: 142 million total
Grand total net profit: -51.50 million

That doesn't tell the whole picture though, what about all the money they made from licensing, toy sales, future rentals etc. Besides those are all estimates that could be completely wrong, they could've easily have made/lost more (or less).

I'm not trying to argue that MLP the movie wasn't a bomb, I'm just saying that there are other revenues/variables not considered in that post. I remember reading that the only reason they made Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li was because of all the money they kept making off the original live action movie that kept being re-broadcast years later.

Of course making a huge investment like that they want to make sure they make a BIG profit or they won't bother again, but I do know Hasbro had been extremely happy with MLP:FiM, it's just been many years since it originally came out so it's no longer "it" like it used to be.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Not remotely. It lost about 50 million dollars.

The cost:
120 million dollar production budget
20 million dollar marketing budget (best guess, probably more)
140 cost, total

What it made:
85 million domestically -- which comes to about 60 million after theater takes
57 internationally -- which comes to 28.5 or less, since international BO means only half or less profit to the studio
Grand total gross profit: 142 million total
Grand total net profit: -51.50 million

Are we talking about the same movie here? All of your numbers seem way off.

My Little Pony: The Movie had a movie budget of almost $30 million, (everything including marketing) and grossed $60 million in total, backed by strong toy and DVD sales.

[pferreira]

When Saban sold Power Rangers the first time? He did so to become a billionaire, he sold his entire assets of Fox Kids and everything else. Once he bought the franchise back from Disney (At a discount) he never stopped making shows.Wow, you're right. I remember it was the second time and it being all over the news that Power Rangers had finally been cancelled. But yeah you're actually right, it was still on every year.

Are we talking about the same movie here? All of your numbers seem way off.

My Little Pony: The Movie had a movie budget of almost $30 million, (everything including marketing) and grossed $60 million in total, backed by strong toy and DVD sales.30 million? Where did you get that amount? I saw this:

"Firstly, the budget for this film was tiny. Hasbro has declined to release any figures, but based on wide-ranging data for similar films – and the fact that it was financed in-house by Hasbro – it looks like a $5-8 million production. For comparison, The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature opened with almost the same amount yet that film cost $40M to produce."

https://www.cartoonbrew.com/box-office-report/little-pony-movie-opens-4th-despicable-passes-zootopia-global-box-office-153918.html

The writer however could be wrong.

[Andrew NDB]

Are we talking about the same movie here? All of your numbers seem way off.

Yeah, same movie. And weird.

https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Power-Rangers-(2017)#tab=summary

[pferreira]

Yeah, same movie. And weird.

https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Power-Rangers-(2017)#tab=summaryAndrew I thought he was talking about My Little Pony: The Movie?

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Andrew I thought he was talking about My Little Pony: The Movie?

Looks like we were talking about a different movie after all :lol:

[FredWolfLeonardo]

30 million? Where did you get that amount? I saw this:

"Firstly, the budget for this film was tiny. Hasbro has declined to release any figures, but based on wide-ranging data for similar films – and the fact that it was financed in-house by Hasbro – it looks like a $5-8 million production. For comparison, The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature opened with almost the same amount yet that film cost $40M to produce."

https://www.cartoonbrew.com/box-office-report/little-pony-movie-opens-4th-despicable-passes-zootopia-global-box-office-153918.html

The writer however could be wrong.

The animation made up about 5-8 million but the rest of the costs such as marketing added to the $30 million total.

There was an insider source of from Hasbro revealing this upon the movie's launch, and I remember seeing it myself, but I'm not motivated enough to search for it again :P

[pferreira]

Looks like we were talking about a different movie after all :lol:That explains it! :D

The animation made up about 5-8 million but the rest of the costs such as marketing added to the $30 million total. Ah that makes sense now.

[Andrew NDB]

That explains it! :D

Ah that makes sense now.

Oh. Indeed we were... my bad.

[ZariusTwo]

Time's up for Saban Brands, it will close on July 2nd

http://news.tokunation.com/2018/05/24/saban-brands-to-close-july-2-2018-53099

[neatoman]

Time's up for Saban Brands, it will close on July 2nd

http://news.tokunation.com/2018/05/24/saban-brands-to-close-july-2-2018-53099

Ok, yeah... That explains a lot.

[sdp]

Not really, they're closing since saban brands sold all their brands. Had the deal not gone through it'd still exist regardless.



Also I would not be a family of Power Rangers shared universe with Hasbro. But that's just me

[pferreira]

Time's up for Saban Brands, it will close on July 2nd

http://news.tokunation.com/2018/05/24/saban-brands-to-close-july-2-2018-53099Apologies for asking an obvious question but what will Haim Saban's involvement in Power Rangers be now? Is he stepping back?