4Kids Sells Yu-Gi-Oh To Konami, While Saban Brands Gets Sonic X, And More

[KremlingWhatnot]

The United States Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York filed a document on Tuesday after a 10:00 a.m. EDT hearing granting the sale of 4Kids' Yu-Gi-Oh! and CW Network-related assets to a joint bid by Saban's Kidsco Media Ventures LLC andKonami's 4K Acquisition Corp.
During a June 5 auction for the assets, 4Kids considered the joint bid "after a number of rounds of competitive bidding" by Kidsco and 4K, and the threecompanies agreed to the joint bid on Sunday.
The executed Asset Purchase Agreement document filed on June 24 outlining the joint bid notes that the purchase price for the assets is "Fifteen Million One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($15,000,000)." A final document clarifying whether the purchase price is US$15 million or US$15.1 million has not yet been filed, although the document filed on June 24 mentions US$15 million in another section.
4Kids had filed a notice on June 15 proposing that KidsCo and Konami would divide the assets and obligations of 4Kids.
According to the executed Asset Purchase Agreement, Konami will receive the rights to theYu-Gi-Oh! anime franchise, which includes — aside from all production materials — internet domain names, website assets, print publications published by 4Kids, and music and sound recording rights. The company will also receive machinery and recording/editing equipment as well as office equipment, furniture, and computers located at 4Kids' 23rd Street offices in New York.
Kidsco will receive rights to the Dragon Ball Z agreement terms with Toei Animation andFunimation Productions that includes Dragon Ball Z Kai; the Cubix agreements with Daiwon C & A Holdings, Cinepix, and East Japan Marketing & Communications; the Sonic X agreement with TMS Entertainment; and The CW Network's Saturday Morning programming block agreement terms.
Konami is the Japanese licensor and distributor of the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game, while Saban once produced the Fox Kids programming block. (4Kids also once produced Fox's Saturday morning programming until 2008.)
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/new...twork-related-assets-jointly-to-konami-kidsco

 

[Drtooth]

They sure are in dire straights since Laird sold TMNT. That was the LAST big money maker they had. Even during the last season of the show, you could tell there was some marketing direction they desperately wanted to take in online card games (I don't really want to go into the whole story there... TMNT had 3 concepts before they settled on a transitional series, one of them dealt HEAVILY in online TCG).

I've been saying for years that they suffer from bad business sense. When the Kirby: Right Back At yah Anime came out, 4Kids and Nintendo planned a merchandising blitz, dubbing Kirby as the next Pikachu. 4Kids blundered the deal, we never got anything out of it except a Wendy's Kid's meal and an obscure set of key chains and that was that. They completely bullocksed any chance of One Piece being a household name in America (Toei is to blame here too... long story that involves them screwing Funimation, and then coming to their senses and letting them buy it anyway)... and they couldn't even make Dinosaur King work (the trading cards went straight to the dollar stores).

Yu-Gi-Oh was the one thing that was all them that was successful.

I hope this means that Saban gets the CW line up as well. It's the LAST network Saturday Morning line up that isn't meant for preschoolers, meant for older teens, or infomercials. In short, it's the last Saturday Morning line up that actually CAN be called a Saturday morning line up. Even if they just blanket the thing with MMPR reruns.

 

[KremlingWhatnot]

I hope this means that Saban gets the CW line up as well. It's the LAST network Saturday Morning line up that isn't meant for preschoolers, meant for older teens, or infomercials. In short, it's the last Saturday Morning line up that actually CAN be called a Saturday morning line up. Even if they just blanket the thing with MMPR reruns.

Acutally I Think They Are Getting The Line Up, Read This

It negotiated a better deal with The CW that dictated the amount it was responsible for paying the network if it took control of the block.

 

[KremlingWhatnot]

Even if they just blanket the thing with MMPR reruns.

Don't Worry, Don't Worry, Haim Saban Confirmed That We Will Have Power Rangers On The Block, That's Starting THIS FALL!!, Anyways, Here's The Link To Where I Got It From http://morphinlegacy.com/2012/06/new-info-from-saban-brands-morphicon-adds-samurai-cast.html

 

[Drtooth]

Don't Worry, Don't Worry, Haim Saban Confirmed That We Will Have Power Rangers On The Block, That's Starting THIS FALL!!, Anyways, Here's The Link To Where I Got It From http://morphinlegacy.com/2012/06/new-info-from-saban-brands-morphicon-adds-samurai-cast.html

My Eek the Cat/Fox Kids cartoon loving 12 year old self just punched a wall in my mind. However, My completely accepting older self is just happy kids have something to watch on Saturdays besides Cookie Jar's preschooly garbage and ABC's Litton's Embarrassment.

Never really been a MMPR fan, but I have nothing but respect it's sizable fan base. I'm very glad they're happy... I just wonder what else is in store for the line up. And I hope nothing happens to the relatively uncut Sonic X Japanese episodes on Hulu.

Still, I hope someone can acquire the rights to my FAVORITE 4Kids licensed anime, Ultimate Muscle. Even if it's just on hulu with dub only. Hopefully some of their other shows get license rescued as well.