News Sesame Workshop Sues to Terminate IP License

[harry580]

here me out, but what if Sesame Street ip got replaced at seaworld with this:


context: its hideaki utsumi, the owner of gumi which is fiender's profile pic

 

[Irishlad]

This is all we need at BGW

 

[farfeather]

Regarding Sesame Place, I think the park would still be successful without the IP, as I feel most people go for the rides and attractions, and not because of the Sesame Street theme. Though it would be quite the challenge to strip the park of all its theming.

 

[michaellynn4]

^ I'd be curious to know who you talk to, because the ONLY reason I know of people going to the park is BECAUSE it's Sesame Street.

 

[horsesboy]

Regarding Sesame Place, I think the park would still be successful without the IP, as I feel most people go for the rides and attractions, and not because of the Sesame Street theme. Though it would be quite the challenge to strip the park of all its theming.

I think it could be made to be successful without the IP but I think it's an uphill battle especially when you look at the location and completion in PA.

Dutch Wonderland 1.5 hours away
Dorney park 1 hour away
Great Adventure 30 minutes away
Hershey park 2 hours away
Knobles 2 and a half hours away

Just to name a few big ones.

It would also likely require a significant investment of money that United might not be in a position to spend right now.

 

[paintervision]

It would also likely require a significant investment of money that United might not be in a position to spend right now.

Also, this park is tiny. 16 acres total, something like that, minus the parking lots.

 

[kmccarthy27]

I think it could be made to be successful without the IP but I think it's an uphill battle especially when you look at the location and completion in PA.

Dutch Wonderland 1.5 hours away
Dorney park 1 hour away
Great Adventure 30 minutes away
Hershey park 2 hours away
Knobles 2 and a half hours away

Just to name a few big ones.

It would also likely require a significant investment of money that United might not be in a position to spend right now.

Diggerland isn’t too far from the Philly metro area and is a bit cheaper and just recently got a kiddie waterpark.

 

[halfabee]

When we took our then-tiny kids to Sesame Place for the first time, my youngest -- barely talking at that age -- absolutely shrieked "I LOVE YOU BIG BIRD!" during the character parade.

She had not yet said "I love you" to her own mother.

The level of enthusiasm kids still have for Sesame Street is absolutely the secret sauce at that park. There are other equivalently-beloved IPs, but among those that would theoretically be available I don't see any ready replacements-in-waiting.

I'm not sure what to think about Sesame Place's future right now.

 

[tursiops]

This seems like a strange turn of events. I don't think the BG parks losing Sesame will hurt, SWO will take some serious work to replace.

The really crazy part to me is losing all the mech sales. They sell SS throughout the parks, not just in those sections. I would have assumed they were making a good amount on all that.

 

[MaxxForceFan]

What the heck happens to Sesame Place?

 

[harry580]

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[warfelg]

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.

Appreciate the insight.

Kinda feels like one of those relationships where both sides wanted to go south TBH. SPWS wanted bigger investment/footprint and maybe UP didn’t see it as valuable enough to put in high effort. So UP half asses a second SP park, loses money, fails to play, blames it on weak brand.

That’s a shame that Merlin is in a tough spot and SPWS and the park are unlikely to move together. As @horsesboy pointed out (and growing up in the area) the draw to SP is Sesame Street theming. Without that theming it gets lost in the other young family friendly options like Diggerland, Storybook Land, Dutch Wonderland.

I’ve been trying to spitball other ideas. I know the BBC owns the rights to Bluey, maybe they partner with someone to run the park as a Bluey themed park if UP were willing to sell?

 

[tursiops]

Appreciate the insight.

Kinda feels like one of those relationships where both sides wanted to go south TBH. SPWS wanted bigger investment/footprint and maybe UP didn’t see it as valuable enough to put in high effort. So UP half asses a second SP park, loses money, fails to play, blames it on weak brand.

That’s a shame that Merlin is in a tough spot and SPWS and the park are unlikely to move together. As @horsesboy pointed out (and growing up in the area) the draw to SP is Sesame Street theming. Without that theming it gets lost in the other young family friendly options like Diggerland, Storybook Land, Dutch Wonderland.

I’ve been trying to spitball other ideas. I know the BBC owns the rights to Bluey, maybe they partner with someone to run the park as a Bluey themed park if UP were willing to sell?

Disney already has deals with Bluey.

 

[warfelg]

Disney already has deals with Bluey.

Damn because I doubt Disney would want something so small. I’m trying to think of IPs that could work that are popular enough like Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, etc. because that’s what would work there.

Sadly I think this park does a slow death without SPWS.

 

[paintervision]

Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol

Peppa Pig has "mini" parks run by Merlin (Texas, Florida, and elsewhere). Paw Patrol is owned by Nickelodeon, and has a presence at Nick Universe in NJ.

I don't know if this company has the money to try to book a high-profile IP right now. Who's going to want to work with a company who needs to replace a 45-year partnership over failed payments? There was talk that SEGA would license Sonic the Hedgehog for a few parks (mostly SWO), but it's been quiet on that front for a while now and I think this may have something to do with that.

 

[warfelg]

Peppa Pig has "mini" parks run by Merlin (Texas, Florida, and elsewhere). Paw Patrol is owned by Nickelodeon, and has a presence at Nick Universe in NJ.

I don't know if this company has the money to try to book a high-profile IP right now. Who's going to want to work with a company who needs to replace a 45-year partnership over failed payments? There was talk that SEGA would license Sonic the Hedgehog for a few parks (mostly SWO), but it's been quiet on that front for a while now and I think this may have something to do with that.

I’m talking about someone buying the park from UP to do that IP overhaul FWIW.

 

[paintervision]

I’m talking about someone buying the park from UP to do that IP overhaul FWIW.

I don’t see this happening at all. The land would probably be sold off for other uses.

Maybe that clears a path for a new Universal Kids resort built near Comcast’s HQ. But like, I think you are overestimating the US amusement park industry right now, which is not in a good place right now.

 

[warfelg]

I’m sorry but just because I would hope something would happen doesn’t mean I don’t understand outside factors.

 

[GoogalyBoythe10th]

or its unlikely giving universal already having troubles with Sesame Street ip (removing land from Japan)

Universal Japan is still able to use the characters afterwards for meet and greets, parades, their 4D show, etc. The area’s closure is seemingly on good terms, considering they’re having a special farewell event.

I feel like their case is more likely just the land being a casualty of USJ’s land-locked nature. Nothing to do with contractual issues.

 

[Mushroom]

Former Cedar Fair CEO Matt Ouimet posted this on LinkedIn. I think he's probably referring to the Sesame/SEAS lawsuit and thought it was interesting commentary.

Someone sent me a news article today that started me reminiscing about a mistake I made.

Trusting that all will deal fairly is admirable but flawed.

At Disney and later at Cedar Fair, I worked with truly outstanding attorneys. The had sharp legal minds and were impressively astute businesspeople.

As with any large businesses, there were occasional legal disputes, but I never heard any of our attorneys recommend that we willfully violate a contract and invite the counterparty to sue us.

I know there are some organizations that are infamous for taking this approach. Sadly, I think they believe this is a valuable aspect of their business model.

I was on the receiving end of this approach one time and now, whenever anyone asks me my opinion of those who run that company, I sarcastically respond, “not a fan.” I remember hearing rumors of their questionable reputation, but we concluded that certainly they wouldn’t do that to us. That was nearly twenty years ago and even in my retirement it still really bothers me.

With complex transactions there will be times when there are legitimate disagreements. You will be sued and you will sue others. It is never fun and often costly, but I can respect honest disagreements.

Don't believe that they won’t do it to you and that will save you from angrily pounding on your keyboard two decades later.