the biggest question is...how all of this is gonna affect sesame place?
News Sesame Workshop Sues to Terminate IP License
- Thread starter Python_Survivor
- Start date
Feels like things are finally fully breaking down with this relationship. Sadly I can't say I'm too surprised.
Sesame Place San Diego has, per rumors I've heard, been a disaster for the company. I'm sure United wants out of that property yesterday, but it sounds like the terms of their agreement with Sesame Workshop don't allow them to shutdown the park (or even operate it only seasonally)?
United has already prepped SWSD and SWSA for this potentiality. BGT's Sesame area predates the IP in the park and can just be reverted to a more generic theme. Stripping Sesame out of Forest of Fun in Williamsburg wouldn't be the most difficult thing either.
The real issues are going to be SeaWorld Orlando and, especially, Sesame Place Pennsylvania. Don't know how much the IP is really doing for gate at SWO, but it is everything at Sesame Place Pennsylvania. Both would require substantial retheme investments to operate without Sesame though and, frankly, I don't know that Sesame Place Pennsylvania can even survive without the IP. Very curious to see how that would all pan out.
Sesame Place San Diego has, per rumors I've heard, been a disaster for the company. I'm sure United wants out of that property yesterday, but it sounds like the terms of their agreement with Sesame Workshop don't allow them to shutdown the park (or even operate it only seasonally)?
United has already prepped SWSD and SWSA for this potentiality. BGT's Sesame area predates the IP in the park and can just be reverted to a more generic theme. Stripping Sesame out of Forest of Fun in Williamsburg wouldn't be the most difficult thing either.
The real issues are going to be SeaWorld Orlando and, especially, Sesame Place Pennsylvania. Don't know how much the IP is really doing for gate at SWO, but it is everything at Sesame Place Pennsylvania. Both would require substantial retheme investments to operate without Sesame though and, frankly, I don't know that Sesame Place Pennsylvania can even survive without the IP. Very curious to see how that would all pan out.
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It is interesting that SWO reportedly pulled back last minute from redoing Key West into SeaWorld Rescue Jr a year or so ago. Almost as if they knew they may have to do a new kids area on the other side of the park.
Although, any level of foresight or long term thinking coming from PRKS would be astounding.
Although, any level of foresight or long term thinking coming from PRKS would be astounding.
@Gavin and I pulled the actual, full complaint and it's WILD. I highly recommend downloading the PDF and at least reading through the Introduction at a minimum. It seems to confirm that...
- United Parks hasn't been paying as agreed since 2022
- United Parks is in breach of their agreement to have already built a third Sesame Place
- The Rescue Jr land in SWSA was literally just a spite announcement
- United has been using Sesame branding in violation of their contract
- Sesame learned of SPSD's move to seasonal operations from United's social media post (which, itself, violated the brand agreement)
- United locked Sesame out of their shared means of communication and branding approval systems
- And much, much more. Wild shit.
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The OG one just needs to be sold to someone to preserve the IP because seriously with out the Sesame Street IP that place is Dead in the Water.
With Netflix House in that Metro area, the Netflix studios being built in NJ and Sesame moving to Netflix is there any chance Netflix can buy it?
I know this wont happened and it will be very budget done. But they should go full mini BGW in the area with the rebrand. Make the kiddie drop tower look like Mach Tower, make the Grover Coaster yellow and make it a kiddie loch ness, etc...
Make this a mini self contained kids version of BGW. And bring back the mascots from the 80s.
I can’t wait to see what AI slop or D tier IP they’re going to replace Sesame Street with.
I’m also stunned at this move by SWP&E because it is very much easily their most recognizable brand, brings in a lot of money for them, and they thought that skimping on payments to sesame was a good idea? Also, Sesame Street is notoriously picky on who they let use the rights to their brand, so for Seaworld to gain their trust and absolutely destroy it? Yeah that’s not a good look for them. Would also explain the sudden cut of the parade at SWO.
It might have been part of a move to try and get out of the contract or renegotiate it. The San Diego park situation is a dumpster fire from everything I have heard and Sesame keeps fighting for unrealistic things given the current situation. There is that Sesame has been on the decline recently which was why HBO decided not to renew it.
What the heck happens to Sesame Place? Would Sesame own it or UP at that point? Would Sesame hope that some else would keep it as is?
Who runs Lego Parks? I feel like that would end up being a great partnership.
Does anyone else feel like them doing what they did in San Diego and not going with the teasers/tested BGW expansion ended up a good decision in hindsight?
Who runs Lego Parks? I feel like that would end up being a great partnership.
Does anyone else feel like them doing what they did in San Diego and not going with the teasers/tested BGW expansion ended up a good decision in hindsight?
The Sesame Place parks are wholly owned by United. As far as I know, if the agreement is terminated, the parks have to be dethemed and, obviously, renamed (I think within 180 days?). The full 2017 contract is here.
Merlin runs the LEGO parks, but they're in rough financial waters right now and, again, I don't think there's any real ability for the park to be conveyed alongside the IP like that in this situation.
I sincerely believe all of this is BECAUSE they selected the San Diego-area water park conversion for Park 2. Awful idea on paper, awful idea in execution, and it has been a financial disaster since. I firmly believe that Sesame Place Williamsburg would have performed far, FAR better for the chain than San Diego has and, moreover, its costs would have been way lower AND they wouldn't have had to destroy an Aquatica park (which, from what I understand, was profitable) to build it.
In my opinion, the original sin here was United Parks foolishly pursuing SPSD in the way that they did. I believe numerous other options for Park 2 (including a new build in SoCal, addition to the San Antonio, Williamsburg, or Orlando properties, purchasing and converting a mid-sized FEC in a metro area, or building ground-up in an all-new geographic area) would have been not only successful, but a hit.
I don't think it's at all a coincidence that United stopped paying Sesame soon after the opening of SPSD. I believe that park sunk the entire deal.
Merlin runs the LEGO parks, but they're in rough financial waters right now and, again, I don't think there's any real ability for the park to be conveyed alongside the IP like that in this situation.
I sincerely believe all of this is BECAUSE they selected the San Diego-area water park conversion for Park 2. Awful idea on paper, awful idea in execution, and it has been a financial disaster since. I firmly believe that Sesame Place Williamsburg would have performed far, FAR better for the chain than San Diego has and, moreover, its costs would have been way lower AND they wouldn't have had to destroy an Aquatica park (which, from what I understand, was profitable) to build it.
In my opinion, the original sin here was United Parks foolishly pursuing SPSD in the way that they did. I believe numerous other options for Park 2 (including a new build in SoCal, addition to the San Antonio, Williamsburg, or Orlando properties, purchasing and converting a mid-sized FEC in a metro area, or building ground-up in an all-new geographic area) would have been not only successful, but a hit.
I don't think it's at all a coincidence that United stopped paying Sesame soon after the opening of SPSD. I believe that park sunk the entire deal.
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maybe this gives universal (who has the Sesame Street ip in Singapore & Japan) a opportunity to buy sesame place and get the Sesame Street ip
or its unlikely giving universal already having troubles with Sesame Street ip (removing land from Japan)
@Gavin that logo you made give me a mental image of mr six flags dancing in sesame place with vengaboys music playing
or its unlikely giving universal already having troubles with Sesame Street ip (removing land from Japan)
@Gavin that logo you made give me a mental image of mr six flags dancing in sesame place with vengaboys music playing
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This makes the most sense in terms of synergy - if United can’t hold the license their best bet would be selling the park with it intact, and Netflix would be a partner. But whether their desire to enter the immersive entertainment business extends to actual theme parks remains to be seen. It’s a different operational beast on multiple levels.
(That said, it would make a great anecdote for the conclusion to my book about I.P. and conglomerate theme parks, so.)
Hear me out, Fast and Furious Supercharged replacement:
