(Rangerboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Hasbro)
In case you missed it yesterday, Saban Brands and Bandai America are parting ways after 25 years of partnership in 2019.
Now in a stunning announcement Hasbro has been announced as the Master Toy licensee for Saban’s Power Rangers!
Hasbro is currently the creators behind Transformers, Marvel Legends & Star Wars Brands as well!
A Few Words from Hasbro:
“We are honored to create a world of play experiences for such an iconic action brand,” said Brian Goldner, Chairman and CEO of Hasbro. “Saban’s Power Rangers are universally recognized and their hallmark attributes of teamwork and inclusivity perfectly align with our core values at Hasbro.”
“Hasbro leads the way in brand storytelling and creating engaging experiences across its exceptional portfolio of blockbuster and partner brands,” said Haim Saban, founder of Saban Brands and creator of Power Rangers. “Quality, innovation and a focus on designing dynamic products for fans of all ages makes Hasbro a great partner for Power Rangers.”
Here’s what that means for the Power Rangers toys going forward in 2019 from the Hollywood Reporter:
Hasbro will design, produce and bring to market a wide variety of toys and role-play items inspired by the long-running TV and movie series.
Beginning in spring 2019, Hasbro — which became the leading toy seller worldwide last year — will release toys based on the popular brand, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2018. The toy manufacturer will control the master toy license for Power Rangers worldwide, with the exception of Japan and a small number of other Asian markets, where it will remain with longtime partner Bandai.
“We’re particularly excited to partner together to help reignite and drive this brand for the next 25 years and more,” Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner tells Heat Vision about the deal. “It’s a partnership that is very collaborative and feels very good to us to be in business with Saban and to help power Power Rangers.”
It also appears that the brand will not only be focusing on the toys for small children but will continue to focus on selling to older fans of the show as well.
…..the potential for the partnership to grow the Power Rangers brand in multiple areas, as the show heads into its 26th season on Nickelodeon. (The network this week renewed the series through 2021.) “We’re particularly excited to introduce the brand to the youngest Power Rangers fans, but we’ve also talked for many years about the growth and development of the fan economy,” Goldner says, referring to the growth market of the older fanbase. “We do believe that fans today have more interest in, and more access to, fan-oriented products. The online retailing world allows us to retail products at higher price points, along with conventions, to move product that are aimed at older fans. You can only imagine with the amazing creativity of the Power Rangers show, as well as Haim’s own creativity, that this allows for some very exciting things as we move forward.”
Although Goldner is careful not to spill any secrets about future releases from Hasbro, he does say that the company will work with legacy material from the franchise’s history, as well as keeping up to date with the show’s latest incarnations as they happen. “I think there’s a lot of love for the classic characters,” he admits. “I was around in the first years when Haim and Saban decided to renew the concept every year, and we could see how it renewed interest every year. It allowed the creative to change and the brand to evolve. We want to continue to evolve and reinvent. We’re very dedicated to continuing to evolve and rededicate the brand every year.”
Saban, meanwhile, framed his excitement about the future of Power Rangers — which he describes as a “three-way partnership between Saban, Nickelodeon and Hasbro” — by underscoring the importance of his latest partners. “Toys are absolutely essential to Power Rangers,” he says. “Toys are basically the leading merchandising and licensing partner that we have. It’s very important.”
A New logo was also unveiled! What do you think?
How do you think Hasbro will handle the Power Rangers brand?
About Hasbro
Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a global play and entertainment company committed to Creating the World’s Best Play Experiences. From toys and games to television, movies, digital gaming and consumer products, Hasbro offers a variety of ways for audiences to experience its iconic brands, including NERF, MY LITTLE PONY, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH, MONOPOLY, BABY ALIVE and MAGIC: THE GATHERING, as well as premier partner brands. Through its entertainment labels, Allspark Pictures and Allspark Animation, the Company is building its brands globally through great storytelling and content on all screens. Hasbro is committed to making the world a better place for children and their families through corporate social responsibility and philanthropy. Hasbro ranked No. 1 on the 2017 100 Best Corporate Citizens list by CR Magazine, and has been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere Institute for the past seven years. Learn more at www.hasbro.com, and follow us on Twitter (@Hasbro & @HasbroNews) and Instagram (@Hasbro).