Authentic Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Care Bears, Expanding its Entertainment Platform into Character IP
06-Jul-2026
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Source : Authentic Brands Group
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Visits : 60
NEW YORK - Authentic Brands Group, a global brand and entertainment platform, announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the intellectual property of Care Bears, one of the world’s most beloved and enduring family entertainment franchises, according to the official website of the Group.
Authentic is one of the world’s largest owners of intellectual property and has built a modern entertainment platform that accelerates IP through content, experiences and global commerce. Care Bears fits squarely within this asset-rich platform, expanding Authentic’s presence in family entertainment and character IP.
Care Bears brings global awareness, multigenerational fandom and commercial scale that few brands can match. Originally introduced in the early 1980s as a greeting card concept, Care Bears has evolved into a global entertainment franchise generating more than $12 billion in lifetime retail sales. The brand includes more than 100 bears, each representing a distinct emotion or expression, including Cheer Bear, Funshine Bear and Grumpy Bear. It reaches consumers in more than 190 countries, appears in 26 languages and is distributed across leading platforms worldwide, with a growing slate including short-form content, gaming, live experiences and film.
“Care Bears is the gold standard of family entertainment,” said Corey Salter, CEO of Authentic’s Entertainment division. “It arrives with a nearly 45-year history of genuine emotional connection, an active content pipeline, a vast network of more than 500 licensing partners and a devoted fanbase that keeps growing. Our opportunity is not simply to steward the brand and its message of positivity; it’s to bring Care Bears into Authentic’s powerful platform and write the next great chapter in one of entertainment’s most enduring franchises.”
Authentic Studios and Authentic Live, divisions of Authentic Brands Group, will play central roles in extending the Care Bears universe through new stories, audiences and fan experiences.
Since launching in 2023, Authentic Studios has introduced new ways for audiences to engage with Authentic’s intellectual property through original content and experiences, including Beckham, Shaq’s Dunkman League and EPiC Elvis Presley. Authentic Live connects brands with the world’s most influential moments in sports, culture and entertainment through more than 60 annual events, spanning large-scale ticketed experiences, exclusive VIP gatherings and industry-leading thought leadership programming.
The acquisition remains subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.