Hasbro Scores Sesame Workshop Toy Rights

PAWTUCKET/NEW YORK: Hasbro has clinched a ten-year deal with Sesame Workshop, beginning in 2011, to manufacture and market toys and games based on Sesame Street.

Hasbro is set to roll out products featuring the likes of Elmo, Big Bird, Abby Cadabby and Cookie Monster, under its PLAYSKOOL and games brands. The toy rights for Sesame Street are currently held by Mattel’s Fisher-Price brand.

Brian Goldner, Hasbro’s president and CEO, said in announcing the deal: “Sesame Workshop has an amazing portfolio of characters that children have enjoyed in a variety of forms for decades, and Sesame Street is a brand that parents trust. Hasbro fully embraces Sesame Workshop’s philosophy and mission, and we see this new alliance as an ideal strategic fit."

“At the heart of Hasbro’s business is making fantastic games, toys, lifestyle and entertainment products that are enjoyed by people of all ages worldwide,” added Gary E. Knell, Sesame Workshop’s president and CEO. “We are thrilled to work with the leading provider of play to provide families with an extended and engaging Sesame Street experience.”