After several failed transactions, the German media giant EM.TV is selling the Jim Henson Company back to the Henson family. EM.TV acquired the Henson Company in 2000 for $680 million; the new deal with the family is valued at about $89 million.
EM.TV had planned to use Henson's Muppets characters to develop a franchise in a wide range of media, but the company ran into debt problems before any initiatives were launched. In March, a sale to an investment group headed by former Viacom executive Dea Valentine fell through, and although the Disney Company had expressed interest in acquiring the company several times, a deal was never consummated.
