Care Bears

What Care Bears does

Care Bears is a globally licensed media and consumer products franchise built around multi-colored anthropomorphic teddy bear characters. The intellectual property is owned by Those Characters From Cleveland, LLC, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and operated by Cloudco Entertainment as a lean, asset-light licensing business with 1-10 employees. The franchise serves children, families, and adult collectors across multiple demographics and geographies, with brand heritage spanning more than 40 years.

The franchise's core products span animated content, plush toys, apparel, accessories, mobile applications, and video games. Content distribution includes the "Unlock the Magic" animated series on Netflix, while interactive entertainment extends to Nintendo Switch, NEX Playground, and the Nurture App. Manufacturing and merchandise are delivered through licensing partners including Jazwares, Basic Fun, and L.O.L. Surprise, with retail distribution across Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Hot Topic.

Care Bears generates revenue primarily through intellectual property licensing, content distribution deals, and merchandise royalties. The business model is asset-light: rather than manufacturing directly, the franchise monetizes its IP through licensee agreements that produce physical goods, digital content, and gaming experiences. Brand engagement is reinforced through annual initiatives such as Share Your Care Day (now in its 10th year) and the inaugural Care-A-Lot Awards, alongside charitable partnerships that anchor the brand's values-based positioning. Trademarks and copyrights are held through at least 2026, providing a defined runway for continued monetization.

Name

Care Bears

Legal name

Those Characters From Cleveland, LLC

Website

https://carebears.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Care Bears is a 40+ year legacy character IP owned by Those Characters From Cleveland, LLC and operated by Cloudco Entertainment, monetized globally through Netflix content, licensed plush and merchandise, gaming platforms, and retail distribution across major chains.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Entertainment Franchise

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (339930), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120)

SIC

Dolls & Stuffed Toys (3942), Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Dolls, Plush & Action Figures Retail (CRALAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Traditional Toy Stores (CRALAFAA), Educational & Learning Toys Retail (CRALAFAB)

Keywords

• Children's entertainment franchise
• Animated streaming content
• Character merchandise licensing
• Plush toys collectibles
• Kids entertainment brand

Headquarters

HQ city

Paducah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Merchandise Sales: Sale of official Care Bears merchandise including plush toys, apparel, accessories, and collectibles through retail partners and direct-to-consumer channels.
2. Content Licensing and Streaming: Licensing of Care Bears content to streaming platforms like Netflix for original series distribution.
3. IP Licensing: Licensing of Care Bears intellectual property to third-party manufacturers and brands for product creation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Care Bears is a children's entertainment franchise that licenses its character intellectual property for animated content (the 'Unlock the Magic' Netflix series), plush toys, apparel, accessories, collectibles, video games, and mobile apps. Revenue is generated primarily through IP/content licensing royalties and wholesale/retail merchandise sales via partners such as Amazon, Target, Walmart, Hot Topic, Netflix, Nintendo, and NEX Playground.

Product overview

Care Bears is a children's entertainment brand offering a multi-platform experience centered around its Care Bears characters. The core offering includes the Unlock the Magic animated series on Netflix, video games on Nintendo Switch and NEX Playground, downloadable activities (coloring pages, puzzles, mazes), and consumer products (toys, plush, apparel, accessories) through retail partners. The brand runs annual campaigns including Share Your Care Day (September 9th) and the Care-A-Lot Awards program. Additional content includes the Magic of Caring music video and mobile applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Unlock the Magic Animated series featuring Care Bears characters on brand-new adventures, available globally on Netflix.
• Care Bears: To The Rescue Video game featuring Care Bears characters available on Nintendo Switch.
• Care Bears: Rainbow Ride Video game featuring Care Bears characters available on NEX Playground gaming platform.
• Care Bears Toys & Merchandise Official Care Bears plush toys, collectibles, apparel, and accessories sold through retail partners Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Hot Topic, as well as through the official Care Bears shop page.
• Care Bears on the Nurture App Mobile application on the Nurture App platform featuring Care Bears content and games designed for children.
• The Magic of Caring (Music Video) Original Care Bears music video — a feel-good tune designed for singing, dancing, and family sharing.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Birthday Party ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2025Charitable partnership for Share Your Birthday campaign, encouraging children to support children experiencing homelessness instead of receiving gifts for their birthdays.
• Basic FuncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 September 2025Licensed toy manufacturer producing Care Bears toys and plush merchandise, featured on the official Care Bears Kids website.
• Precious Dreams FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2025Charitable partner supporting children's emotional wellbeing as part of the Share Your Care Day initiative.
• JazwarescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 September 2025Licensed merchandise partner producing Care Bears products as part of the decade-long Share Your Care Day celebration.
• L.O.L. SurpriseminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 September 2025Collaborative toy brand partnership for the 10th annual Share Your Care Day season-long celebration.
• Young Lives vs CancerminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2025UK-based charity partner supporting young people with cancer as part of the global caring initiative.
• NetflixcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStreaming platform partner for Care Bears Unlock the Magic series, the brand-new animated adventures available globally on Netflix.
• NintendominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGaming platform partner for Care Bears: To The Rescue video game on Nintendo Switch.
• Chelsea HenriquezminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInfluencer partner for Caring Cuties product line marketing campaign on Instagram.
• Aimee KellyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInfluencer partner for Caring Cuties product line marketing campaign on Instagram.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Squishmallows (Jazwares): Squishmallows is a character-led plush brand that has rapidly captured children's and collector demand, directly competing with Care Bears in the plush category. Jazwares is also a Care Bears licensee, making Squishmallows a particularly close in-category competitor.

Direct peers

• Build-A-Bear Workshop: Build-A-Bear is a specialty plush and stuffed-animal retailer with strong children's and gift-giving demand, directly comparable to Care Bears as a plush-led brand. Both compete for plush gifting dollars and collaborate on co-branded plush offerings.
• Funko: Funko is a character-licensed collectibles company with adult-collector skew comparable to Care Bears' adult collector segment. Both monetize nostalgic and current character IPs through collectible product lines sold across mass and specialty retail.
• Ty Beanie Babies: Ty is a plush manufacturer and brand owner with a similar collectible-plush model targeting both children and adult collectors. Beanie Babies share the same gifting, collectibility, and seasonal demand dynamics as Care Bears plush.
• Cabbage Patch Kids: Cabbage Patch Kids is a heritage plush/doll brand with a comparable nostalgic, multi-generational collector base similar to Care Bears' adult collector segment. Both brands rely on episodic product launches and licensed manufacturer relationships.

Broad incumbents

• Mattel: Mattel is a major toy and character-IP incumbent (Barbie, Hot Wheels, American Girl) with comparable licensed plush, content, and gaming extensions. As a broad incumbent, Mattel competes for the same retail shelf space, content platform deals, and licensing partners as Care Bears.
• Hasbro: Hasbro owns and operates major character franchises (My Little Pony, Transformers, Play-Doh) and competes with Care Bears across plush licensing, content, and family entertainment. Hasbro's scale and licensing infrastructure make it both a competitor and a potential licensing partner for Care Bears.
• Pokémon (The Pokémon Company / Hasbro plush licensing): Pokémon is one of the largest character-IP franchises globally with licensed plush, gaming, and streaming content that competes for the same children's entertainment and toy budgets as Care Bears. Its plush licensing through partners like Jazwares directly overlaps with Care Bears' manufacturing ecosystem.
• My Little Pony (Hasbro): My Little Pony is a multi-decade character franchise owned by Hasbro with similar emotional/values-based positioning to children and nostalgic adult collectors. It competes with Care Bears in character-licensed plush, content, and merchandise.
• Hello Kitty (Sanrio): Hello Kitty is a globally licensed character IP monetized through plush, apparel, and accessories with strong multi-generational appeal, closely mirroring Care Bears' licensing-led business model. Both rely on third-party manufacturers and retailers for product distribution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/carebears
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cloudco-entertainment
• Instagraminstagram.com/carebears
• TikToktiktok.com/@carebearsofficial

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Care Bears