Authentic Brands Group is expanding into character entertainment with an agreement to acquire the intellectual property behind Care Bears.
The company has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the iconic franchise from IVEST Consumer Partners and Cloverlay. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed; the deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.
“Care Bears is the gold standard of family entertainment,” Corey Salter, CEO of Authentic’s Entertainment division, told Variety in a statement. “…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.”
Originally introduced as a greeting card concept in the early 1980s, Care Bears quickly grew into one of the toy industry’s most recognizable franchises. The brand has generated more than $12 billion in lifetime retail sales and features more than 100 characters, animated series and films, video games, live experiences, and an extensive consumer products program spanning more than 500 licensing partners worldwide. The property reaches audiences in more than 190 countries and 26 languages.
The acquisition marks Authentic’s first character-based franchise and adds Care Bears to its portfolio, which includes entertainment and cultural brands such as Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali, and Marilyn Monroe. Through Authentic Studios and Authentic Live, the company plans to further expand the Care Bears universe with new content, experiences, and storytelling opportunities.
The acquisition also continues an active year for Authentic, which has announced four acquisitions in 2026, including the apparel brands Lee and Guess. The Raine Group served as exclusive financial advisor to Those Characters From Cleveland, LLC (dba CloudCo Entertainment) on this transaction.
Learn more about the company at corporate.authentic.com.
