Sesame Place and the Sesame Road Lands at SeaWorld parks days be be numbered.
Yesterday, in New York courtroom Sesame Workshop sued SeaWorld to finish their decades-long relationship, accusing the theme park operator of withholding royalties and undermining the “Sesame Road” model.
SeaWorld, a unit of United Parks & Resorts, has been Sesame’s unique U.S. theme park licensee for 45 years, opening a number of “Sesame Road”-themed parks and sights that includes characters together with Massive Chook, Cookie Monster and Elmo.
Sesame Workshop stated SeaWorld has for just a few years ignored the newest licensing settlement, which dates from 2017, together with by withholding royalties and shutting websites, together with the momentary closure of Sesame Place San Diego.
In accordance with the grievance, issues worsened in September when SeaWorld stopped paying royalties to Sesame Workshop altogether, and as a pretext to finish the connection made the “preposterous” accusation that the New York-based nonprofit didn’t spend money on its personal model.
“SeaWorld’s rogue, retaliatory actions pose an imminent menace” to Sesame Workshop by tarnishing its fame, utilizing its mental property with out permission and “disappointing kids and households” who hoped to go to the closed websites, the grievance stated.
SeaWorld is thought for the orca Shamu. A United Parks spokesperson stated in a press release the Orlando, Florida-based firm seemed ahead to “setting the file straight in courtroom.” United Parks modified its identify from SeaWorld Leisure in 2024.
The lawsuit additionally seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
“United Parks & Resorts has repeatedly didn’t honor its contractual obligations, leaving Sesame Workshop no selection however to pursue litigation to shield our model and the belief that households place in it,” a Sesame Workshop spokesperson stated in a press release.
In September 2024, a federal choose in Orlando upheld an arbitration ruling that SeaWorld pay Sesame Workshop greater than $11 million together with curiosity for breaching their licensing settlement. SeaWorld did not pay till October 2025, Sesame Workshop stated.From Reuters with reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Enhancing by Mark Porter, Aurora Ellis, Cynthia Osterman Enhancing by Louise Heavens
