April 1, 2023 – NEW YORK, New York, IRVINE, California and TOKYO, Japan – Paramount Global (NASDAQ: PARA), a world-class media company home to iconic brands and franchises, today announced that through a subsidiary it has acquired the worldwide rights to the Sonic the Hedgehog multimedia franchise from Sega Sammy Group. The acquisition expands upon Paramount’s portfolio of beloved characters and further underscores Paramount’s commitment to innovative storytelling across all platforms including networks, streaming services, movies, video games and consumer products. The acquisition includes all character, video game, comic book, multimedia and related intellectual property rights, as well as the rights to Sonic the Hedgehog television programs such as Sonic X, Sonic Boom and Sonic Prime.
In addition, through separate agreements with WildBrain Ltd. and 41 Entertainment, Paramount also announced that it has acquired the worldwide distribution rights to several classic Sonic television programs including Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog (“SatAM”) and Sonic Underground. This expands Paramount’s ownership of the Sonic property to include every single entry of the franchise.
As part of the Agreement, Sega will continue to exclusively develop and publish Sonic video games through 2033. As well, IDW Publishing, which currently publishes a best-selling Sonic comic book series, will continue to publish the series under a multi-year extension.
April Fools.