Three Iconic Brands Join BDA’s Extensive Sports and Entertainment License Portfolio
WOODINVILLE, Wash., Aug. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Bensussen Deutsch & Associates, LLC (BDA), the Merchandise Agency™ for iconic brands, today announced its portfolio of sports and entertainment licenses has grown to include contracts with Popeye™ and Cloudco Entertainment’s Care Bears™. The company has also entered an agreement with Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. for branded merchandise based on the video game icon PAC-MAN™. For more than 20 years BDA has been at the forefront of sports licensing collaborations and activations, a category it created. These additions represent BDA’s continued investment in expanding its sports and entertainment licensing offerings globally.
As part of the agreements, BDA will have sports licensing rights to the Popeye brand through 2027 and the Care Bears and PAC-MAN brands through 2028. By bringing globally recognized entertainment properties into stadiums, arenas, and ballparks, BDA is creating new opportunities for teams to connect with fans through unique promotional nights, licensed merchandise, community activations, and memorable experiences that extend well beyond game day.
“Merchandise collaborations with sports teams are meant to make memories and unite fandoms and create new fans. It is a privilege to be trusted by these iconic brands,” said Kristin Massoth, National Account Director for Sports & Entertainment at BDA. “The Care Bears, PAC-MAN and Popeye characters and brands are classics, and we’re excited to introduce them to a new generation of fans through branded merchandise.”
Care Bears, PAC-MAN and Popeye have each made their indelible mark on pop culture and present unique collaboration opportunities with sports franchises:
- Care Bears is a beloved lifestyle brand that has inspired kindness, connection, and caring for nearly 45 years through iconic characters like Cheer Bear, Funshine Bear, and Grumpy Bear. The brand’s multigenerational appeal creates opportunities for sports organizations to bring fans together through family-focused theme nights, community initiatives, and colorful experiences that celebrate the power of caring.
- PAC-MAN represents the intersection of gaming, nostalgia, and pop culture. With continued relevance through new entertainment content, global brand collaborations, and an expansive fan base, PAC-MAN provides sports organizations with a unique platform to engage younger audiences while celebrating one of gaming’s most iconic brands.
- Popeye is a timeless symbol of strength, determination, and resilience with a nearly 100-year legacy spanning across generations. As one of the iconic brands in the King Features portfolio, a unit of Hearst and home to some of the world’s most popular entertainment characters, Popeye’s enduring popularity, unmistakable personality, and association with healthy living and perseverance make him a natural fit for sports promotions that celebrate competition, community, and generations of fans who have grown up with the iconic Sailor Man.
“By blurring the lines between pop culture and sports, these partnerships transform traditional promotional nights into massive cultural moments,” said Steve Avanessian, Executive Vice President of Client Services & Sports. “Uniting sports fans and entertainment audiences takes both brands to the next level, creating commercial synergy and driving revenue opportunities.”
To learn more about BDA’s brand licenses, visit https://www.bdainc.com/sports-solution/licensing/.
About BDA
Bensussen Deutsch & Associates, LLC (BDA) is a global Merchandise Agency™ providing customized marketing, branded merchandise, e-commerce, and fulfillment solutions for iconic sports organizations, entertainment properties, and Fortune 1000 enterprises. BDA is the largest independently owned branded merchandise agency with operations in more than 50 locations worldwide. With over 40 years of experience, BDA brings brands closer to their customers by providing highly engaging promotional products and branded merchandise experiences. BDA has been the leading merchandise agency for licensed collaborations in sports for more than 25 years. Renowned clients across automotive, sports, technology, entertainment, medical, fitness, and beverage industries rely on BDA to activate, inspire, and promote their events, employees, and brands. For more information on the power of merchandise, visit www.bdainc.com.
About Cloudco Entertainment
Cloudco Entertainment, a portfolio company of IVEST Consumer Partners, is a family and children’s entertainment, consumer products, and brand management company, and the owner of iconic lifestyle brands such as Care Bears™, Holly Hobbie™, Madballs™, Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese™, Twisted Whiskers™, Buddy Thunderstruck™, and Overlord & The Underwoods™. Cloudco creates, develops, and produces multi-platform entertainment franchises across all media channels, along with a wide range of consumer products and experiences that engage multi-generational fans, immersing both kids and adults in the brands they love.
About Care Bears™
Introduced in 1982 through consumer products, greeting cards, and later a series of animated television shows and feature films, Care Bears remains one of the most beloved lifestyle properties in the world. With their signature belly badges and endearing messages of sharing, caring, and friendship, the Care Bears from Care-A-Lot continue to inspire multi-generational fans across the globe. The Care Bears first appeared in television specials in 1983 and 1984, followed by a long-running animated series and a successful leap to the big screen with The Care Bears Movie trilogy (1985–1987). Care Bears & Cousins, a Netflix original CGI-animated series, launched in fall 2015. In 2019, the brand introduced a refreshed look and mission with Care Bears: Unlock the Magic, a 50-episode, 2D animated series currently streaming on HBO Max in the U.S. and other key territories, with all-new specials also available globally on Netflix. Celebrating nearly 45 years of global impact, Care Bears continues to thrive as a multi-generational brand with strong retail momentum and a loyal fan base. With a consumer-first approach and an evergreen presence across pop culture, global consumer products, and digital gaming, the brand remains a powerful force for collaboration and expansion.
Website: CareBears.com
YouTube: YouTube.com/CareBears
Facebook: Facebook.com/CareBears
Instagram: Instagram.com/CareBears
TikTok: Tiktok.com/@carebearsofficial
About Popeye
Sailor. Tough guy. Hero. Legend. That’s Popeye. He’s an underdog with bulging forearms, a mean uppercut, and a love of canned spinach; he is unassuming, unsophisticated, and undeterred by a challenge. From the minute he walked into the comic strip “Thimble Theatre” and muttered his famous “Ja think I’m a cowboy?” line, Popeye the Sailor Man captured the hearts of millions of fans around the globe. As the star of his own comic strips and animated content on the big screen and small, Popeye became quickly ingrained in American culture and today remains one of the most recognizable pop culture icons in the world. For more information, visit www.popeye.com.
About King Features
King Features is a premier producer and distributor of the world’s most iconic intellectual properties and a leader in classic character licensing and franchise development. With one of the longest-running consumer products programs in the industry, King Features’ portfolio includes world-renowned pop culture brands such as Popeye®, Cuphead, Flash Gordon™, The Phantom™, Hägar the Horrible, Moomin, Prince Valiant® and Mandrake the Magician. King Features produced the Emmy-nominated series The Cuphead Show! with Netflix Animation, which debuted in 2022. As content syndication specialists, the company distributes beloved comics such as Blondie, Beetle Bailey®, Mutts™, and dozens of others as well as columns, editorial cartoons, and puzzles across multiple platforms and content providers around the globe. King Features is part of Hearst Newspapers, which publishes 24 dailies and 52 weeklies, including the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, and Times Union (Albany, New York), and operates local digital marketing services and directories.
About PAC-MAN
Originally released as a coin-operated arcade cabinet, PAC-MAN is one of the most influential and longest-running video game franchises in history. In the game, players control PAC-MAN who has to chomp PAC-Dots while being chased by colorful Ghosts in mazes that get increasingly more difficult with each level. Since the official introduction of its innovative gameplay and game design, PAC-MAN sparked a worldwide phenomenon that attracted multiple generations of players across genders. Its popularity led to several game sequels, a full merchandising program and hit music single as well as two animated television series. With record breaking achievements, PAC-MAN has been recognized by the Guinness World Records with awards such as “Most Successful Coin-Operated Game.” The franchise continues to release new console and mobile games and in 2025, PAC-MAN commemorated its 45th Anniversary with a variety of partnerships, activations and launches.
About Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.
Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc., part of the Bandai Namco Group, is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive entertainment for major video game consoles, PC, online, and mobile platforms. The company is known for creating many of the industry’s beloved classic franchises such as PAC-MAN®, GALAGA®, TEKKEN®, SOULCALIBUR®, and ACE COMBAT®, and publishing the critically acclaimed DARK SOULS™ series and the blockbuster title ELDEN RING™. Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. is also the premier publisher in the Western hemisphere for anime-based video games including GUNDAM™, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, DRAGON BALL™, and ONE PIECE®. Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. is headquartered in Irvine, California. More information about the company and its products can be found at http://www.bandainamcoent.com.
PAC-MAN™& ©Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.
