Kermit the Frog has been sitting on a log, strumming a banjo, and dreaming of rainbows since 1955. In that time, he and his friends have starred in television shows, Hollywood movies, Broadway-style productions, and now a hugely successful Disney+ revival special that earned a perfect 98% on Rotten Tomatoes in 2026. But who actually owns Kermit? Who owns Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, and the Animal behind that drum kit?
The answer is not as simple as saying one company owns “the Muppets.” The full ownership picture is actually split across three separate organizations — and understanding how it got that way requires going all the way back to a young puppeteer in Washington D.C. who changed entertainment forever.
What Are The Muppets?
The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson starting in 1955. Although the term is often used to refer to any puppet that resembles the distinctive style of The Muppet Show, the term was coined by Jim Henson himself for his puppet act — and is a legal trademark owned by The Walt Disney Company since 2004.
The core Muppet characters that most people know — Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Animal, Rowlf the Dog, Scooter, Statler, and Waldorf — were all created by Jim Henson and his collaborators for The Muppet Show, which ran from 1976 to 1981. Before that, Kermit first appeared in a short-form TV series called Sam and Friends on WRC-TV in Washington D.C. in 1955.
Who Owns The Muppets Right Now in 2026?
The direct answer: The Walt Disney Company owns the core Muppet characters and the Muppets trademark. Disney acquired these assets from The Jim Henson Company in 2004 and manages them through a wholly owned subsidiary called The Muppets Studio, LLC.
But the full Muppet universe is actually owned by three different entities:
The Walt Disney Company owns the classic Muppet cast — Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Animal, and all the characters from The Muppet Show — along with the associated film and television library and the Muppets trademark itself.
Sesame Workshop owns all Sesame Street characters — Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, and the rest. These characters were never part of the Disney deal and have always been separately owned.
The Jim Henson Company retained ownership of its other fantasy and sci-fi properties — Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Farscape, The Storyteller, and Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. These were not included in the 2004 Disney transaction.
Ownership and Key Stakeholders Table
| Owner | What They Own | How They Got It | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Walt Disney Company | Core Muppet characters, Muppets trademark, Muppet Show library, films | Purchased from Jim Henson Company in February 2004 | Managed via The Muppets Studio, LLC subsidiary |
| The Muppets Studio, LLC | Day-to-day Muppet brand management | Wholly owned Disney subsidiary | Oversees all Muppet productions, licensing, and characters |
| Sesame Workshop | Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Sesame Street characters | Always separately owned; sold to Sesame Workshop during EM.TV selloff | Never part of any Disney deal |
| The Jim Henson Company | Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Farscape, Creature Shop | Retained after the 2004 Disney sale | Still run by the Henson family |
| Sony Pictures | Distribution rights to The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) | Acquired through Columbia Pictures | Disney owns characters but not this film’s distribution |
| Josh D’Amaro (Disney CEO) | Leads overall Walt Disney Company | Became CEO on March 18, 2026 | Has publicly stated desire to expand Muppets in Disney parks |
The Origin Story: Jim Henson and the Birth of the Muppets
The story of Muppet ownership cannot begin anywhere other than with Jim Henson himself — one of the most creative and influential entertainers in the history of American television.
Jim Henson was born on September 24, 1936 in Greenville, Mississippi. He began experimenting with puppets as a teenager and by 1955 had created his first puppet show — Sam and Friends — which aired locally on WRC-TV in Washington D.C. Kermit the Frog appeared in this show, making 1955 the year the Muppets were truly born.
Over the following two decades, Henson built the Muppets into a global brand. Sesame Street launched in 1969 and brought characters like Big Bird and Grover to millions of children. The Muppet Show launched in 1976 and ran for five seasons — watched by an estimated 235 million people in 100 countries at its peak. Feature films followed, starting with The Muppet Movie in 1979.
By the late 1980s, Jim Henson began negotiating a deal with Disney — reportedly valued between $100 million and $150 million — that would have brought the characters under Disney’s umbrella while allowing Henson to focus on creative work. But Jim Henson died unexpectedly of pneumonia in May 1990, aged just 53, before any deal could be completed. Disney and the Henson family tried to continue negotiations but ultimately walked away without a deal in 1991.
The Long Road to Disney: EM.TV, Collapse, and the 2004 Sale
After Jim Henson’s death, his family ran The Jim Henson Company through the 1990s. Then, in 2000, a German media conglomerate called EM.TV purchased The Jim Henson Company for approximately $680 million. It was one of the most disastrous acquisitions in entertainment history.
EM.TV’s stock cratered almost immediately after the purchase. The company began selling off assets to stay afloat. The Sesame Street characters were sold to Sesame Workshop during this period — which is why they are separately owned today and were never part of any Disney deal. The Henson family eventually bought the company back from EM.TV in July 2003 for a fraction of what EM.TV had paid.
Then, almost exactly one year after the family regained control, they made the decision that would permanently reshape Muppet ownership forever.
In February 2004, The Walt Disney Company purchased the Muppets and the Bear in the Big Blue House characters from The Jim Henson Company. The Jim Henson Company retained all other assets — Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Farscape, Creature Shop, and the rest of its library.
Lisa Henson, Jim’s daughter, said at the time: “This deal is the realization of my father’s dream, and ensures that the Muppet characters will live, flourish and continue to delight audiences everywhere, forever.”
Disney established The Muppets Studio, LLC as the wholly owned subsidiary to manage and develop all Muppet content going forward. Disney also owns all Muppet-related trademarks — including the word “Muppet” itself.
The Muppets Under Disney: A Mixed but Exciting Record
Disney’s ownership of the Muppets has been a story of both missed opportunities and genuine triumphs.
On the positive side, The Muppets (2011) — directed by James Bobin and produced with Jason Segel — was a massive hit, earning over $151 million domestically and winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Man or Muppet.” A sequel, Muppets Most Wanted (2014), followed. The characters also got their own ABC television series — The Muppets (2015–2016) — though that was cancelled after one season.
On the frustrating side, many Muppet fans felt that Disney underutilized the characters for years — keeping them on the edges of the parks and rarely giving them major new productions.
That changed in 2026. The Muppet Show revival special — developed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg of Point Grey Pictures, directed by Alex Timbers, and written by Albertina Rizzo — aired on Disney+ in 2026 to extraordinary acclaim. The special earned a 98% Tomatometer and 98% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes and drew 7.58 million views across Disney’s platforms.
The revival special celebrates the 50th anniversary of The Muppet Show’s original variety series, featuring Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, and the full gang returning to the Muppet Theatre for a new variety show — with special guest star Sabrina Carpenter.
2026: A New CEO and a New Era for the Muppets
The Muppets are about to enter what may be their most exciting chapter since Jim Henson was alive — and a big reason for that is a major leadership change at Disney itself.
Josh D’Amaro officially became CEO of The Walt Disney Company on March 18, 2026, replacing Bob Iger who had served as CEO from 2005 to 2020 and again from 2022 to 2026. D’Amaro has been with Disney for 28 years and previously served as Chairman of Disney Experiences.
D’Amaro has been vocal about bringing more Muppets material into the parks and has already confirmed that Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets — a rethemed version of the classic Aerosmith ride at Walt Disney World — is set to open in Summer 2026. The new CEO has also signalled he would like to see more Muppet Show content following the massive success of the revival special.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who owns The Muppets in 2026?
The Walt Disney Company owns the core Muppet characters and trademark, managing them through its subsidiary The Muppets Studio, LLC since 2004.
Q2. Did Jim Henson own The Muppets?
Yes. Jim Henson created and owned the Muppets from 1955 until his death in May 1990, after which his family ran The Jim Henson Company until the 2004 sale to Disney.
Q3. How much did Disney pay for The Muppets?
The exact price was not publicly disclosed, but the deal was completed in February 2004 when Disney purchased the Muppets and Bear in the Big Blue House from The Jim Henson Company.
Q4. Does Disney own Sesame Street characters?
No. Sesame Street characters like Elmo, Big Bird, and Cookie Monster are owned by Sesame Workshop — they were never part of any Disney deal.
Q5. What does The Jim Henson Company still own?
The Jim Henson Company retained Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Farscape, The Storyteller, and Jim Henson’s Creature Shop after the 2004 Disney sale.
Q6. Who is the current CEO of Disney in 2026?
Josh D’Amaro became CEO of The Walt Disney Company on March 18, 2026, replacing Bob Iger, and has publicly committed to expanding Muppets content in both parks and streaming.
Q7. What is the new Muppets project in 2026?
The Muppet Show revival special aired on Disney+ in 2026, developed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, earning a perfect 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.58 million views.
Q8. Can anyone else use the word “Muppet”?
No. Disney owns the Muppets trademark — including the word “Muppet” itself — since the 2004 acquisition from The Jim Henson Company.
The Muppets are owned by The Walt Disney Company, which acquired the core characters — Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Animal, and the rest of the classic cast — from The Jim Henson Company in February 2004. Disney manages the Muppets through its wholly owned subsidiary The Muppets Studio, LLC and owns the Muppets trademark.
The broader Muppet universe is split three ways: Disney owns the classic cast, Sesame Workshop owns the Sesame Street characters, and The Jim Henson Company still owns Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and other Henson properties.
In 2026, under new Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro, the Muppets are experiencing a genuine renaissance — with a wildly successful Disney+ revival special, a new themed roller coaster opening at Walt Disney World, and a new CEO who has publicly committed to giving Kermit and friends the spotlight they deserve.