Posted in: Collectibles, Playmates | Tagged: playmates, tmnt

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Are Moving Away from Playmates in 2027

Big changes are coming to the world of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as Playmates has unveiled they will not be renewing the license 

Playmates Toys is legendary in TMNT history. They were the ones who launched the original TMNT toy line back in 1988, which helped turn the comic into a global phenomenon. For decades, Playmates defined what TMNT figures looked like for kids and collectors. Due to this long history, Playmates TMNT figures, especially those from classic lines, are deeply nostalgic and highly sought after for their collectibility. However, times are changing as Playmates Toys has announced that it will lose the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) toy license at the end of 2026. This means Playmates can continue selling TMNT products until December 31, 2026, with an additional 90 days to clear the remaining stock.

After 2026, Playmates can no longer manufacture or sell TMNT toys unless a new agreement is reached. TMNT has been a significant part of Playmates' business, accounting for nearly half (or more) of their yearly revenue in recent years, so this is a major change for the company. Losing the license marks the end of an era, and figures released before 2027 may become more desirable to collectors over time. Playmates will instead continue to focus on their other brands, such as Power Rangers, MonsterVerse, and Winx, going forward. It's unclear where the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will go next, but they still have figures arriving from NECA and Super7 in the meantime. Check out part of the Playmates Press Release below, or read the whole thing online.

Playmates Announces Non-Renewal of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

"Pursuant to the existing License Agreement (the "License Agreement") entered into between Viacom Media Networks (the "Licensor") as the licensor and Playmates International Company Limited ("PICL"), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Group, as the licensee, PICL was granted the right to design, manufacture, distribute and sell the products of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the "Licensed Products"). Negotiations between the parties regarding the renewal of the License Agreement had been ongoing since October 2025, but PICL has recently been formally notified by the Licensor that the License Agreement will not be renewed upon expiry on 31 December 2026."

"As a result, the rights of PICL to sell the Licensed Products shall cease on 31 December 2026, while the right to dispose its inventories of the Licensed Products will cease 90 days thereafter pursuant to the License Agreement. Based on the information of the Company, the revenue from sales of the Licensed Products represented approximately 8%, 13%, 77%, 47% and 36% of the consolidated revenue of the Group for the year ended 31 December 2021, 31 December 2022, 31 December 2023, 31 December 2024 and for the six months ended 30 June 2025 respectively."

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