ViacomCBS Consumer Products and Playmates Bring the Star Trek Franchise Back to the Toy Aisle with Licensing Agreement for Figures, Vehicles and More to Begin in 2022
LOS ANGELES (July 13, 2021) — Playmates Toys and ViacomCBS Consumer Products today announced that ViacomCBS has awarded the global toy company with the licensing rights for action figures, vehicles and ships, role play and other toy categories for all Star Trek properties. Playmates will launch its new Star Trek toy line in 2022, following Star Trek’s entry into kids’ content with the premiere of Star Trek: Prodigy, the first Star Trek series aimed at younger audiences.
Among the qualities Playmates will bring to the Star Trek Universe are its attention to brand detail, authentic portrait sculpting, and new product innovations it plans to introduce to its forthcoming Star Trek collections. Fans can look forward to a new lineup of action figures and accessories from Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Star Trek: Picard, and other Star Trek series throughout the universe coming soon, and future selections from the expansive Star Trek Universe of series and motion pictures, including the Paramount+ CG-animated series Star Trek: Prodigy produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio and CBS Studios. Details on forthcoming product lines from Playmates will be announced at a future date.
“As Star Trek readies to beam into the kids’ space for the first time with Star Trek: Prodigy on Paramount+, we are thrilled to also enter the toy aisle with Playmates, offering a new generation of fans out of this world toys that will allow them to embark on their own Star Trek adventures at home,” Dion Vlachos, Executive Vice President, Hardlines and Retail, ViacomCBS Consumer Products. “Playmates Toys has deep experience in developing Star Trek figures and playsets. The expertise and ingenuity they plan to bring to figures, ships and more will elevate the play experience for kids and collectors alike.”
“We’re excited to be transported back into the Star Trek Universe, a brand and world that we know very well,” said Karl Aaronian, senior vice president, Playmates Toys. “Our product team includes some lifelong super fans, like me, and we are honored to join with ViacomCBS again to help further engage fans with the wealth of new content coming as well as captivate a new generation of kids with the positive values that Gene Roddenberry introduced in his Trek world.”
Playmates was the master toy licensee for Star Trek from 1992–1999, launching award-winning collections of action figures and innovative accessories from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and classic Star Trek. In 2009, the company also released the official figures and accessories based on the J.J. Abrams Star Trek motion picture.
About Playmates Toys
With a history of more than 50 years, Playmates Toys is among the most well-respected and innovative marketing and distribution companies in the global toy industry, with a proven record of creating imaginative products and developing and managing profitable, long-term brand franchises. Key brands include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Spy Ninjas, Miraculous Ladybug, Godzilla vs. Kong, Ben 10 and more. From its offices in Hong Kong and California, Playmates designs, develops, markets and distributes its products in over 80 countries worldwide. For more information, visit playmatestoys.com.
About ViacomCBS Consumer Products
ViacomCBS Consumer Products (VCP) oversees all licensing and merchandising for ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC), a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, VCP’s portfolio includes a diverse slate of brands and content from BET, CBS (including CBS Television Studios and CBS Television Distribution), Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and Showtime. With properties spanning animation, live-action, preschool, youth and adult, VCP is committed to creating the highest quality product for some of the world’s most beloved, iconic franchises. Additionally, VCP oversees the online direct-to-consumer business for CBS and Showtime programming merchandise, as well as standalone branded ecommerce websites for Star Trek, SpongeBob, South Park, and MTV.
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