In some not-so-fun holiday news, Viacom and longtime Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toy company Playmates Toys Limited announced they will not renew their license come 2026.
For the toy collectors among us, the news was shocking, given that Playmates, a nearly 60-year-old company, had been there since the beginning of TMNT in the ’80s, funding episodes of the cartoon in tandem with selling its toyline. According to a filing report on the Hong Kong stock exchange, negotiations between Viacom and Playmates have been ongoing since October this year. However, on Dec. 23, Viacom informed Playmates that their licensing agreement would not be renewed upon expiry on Dec. 31, 2026. Breaking down all the legal mumbo jumbo, all the above means that come December 2026, Playmates’ nearly 40-year run as a toy manufacturer for TMNT will come to an end.
“Following the expiry of the License Agreement, the Group [Playmates Toys Limited] will continue, where appropriate, to identify and evaluate potential licensing opportunities that align with its strategic considerations, and will continue its efforts to develop and manage its existing product lines, including but not limited to Power Rangers, MonsterVerse, and Winx,” the filing read.
The end of an era for Playmates and TMNT came after the stalwart toyline produced both updated and classic iterations for the heroes in a half shell, as well as movie versions for Mutant Mayhem, the turtle quartet’s latest animated venture on the silver screen. In fact, a significant portion of Playmates’ About Us page is dedicated to highlighting the company’s role in TMNT‘s meteoric rise. One quote from the site states that not only did Playmates release a best-selling toy line around TMNT, but by the ’90s, it also helped them reach an estimated 60% of the action figure market.
Although it is sad to see the end of Playmates’ TMNT toy production, we can take comfort in knowing that the end won’t come until next December, rather than this December. At least there’s still time for folks to snag some classic or new age TMNT toys before Paramount’s Mutant Mayhem sequel film hits theaters on Sept. 17, 2027. Let us be grateful for film delays, I guess. And thanks for the memories, Playmates Toys.
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