Saban Brands has acquired worldwide rights to the Digimon franchise, excluding Asia.

The acquisition adds to Saban’s portfolio of digital assets, which has grown dramatically since the company re-acquired the Power Rangers and purchased lifestyle brand Paul Frank in 2010.

Saban first brought the Digimon brand to the U.S. in 1999 through its joint venture with Fox Broadcasting, Fox Family Worldwide. Now Saban will debut the newest season of the franchise, “Digimon Fusion,” at MIPCOM, taking place Oct. 8-11 in Cannes, France.

“We’re thrilled to reconnect Saban Brands with Digimon, an entertainment franchise that embodies the strong fan base and growth potential we look for in new additions to our portfolio,” says Elie Dekel, president, Saban Brands. “We look forward to re-introducing the brand in new and exciting ways that will allow more fans to engage with Digimon.”

Saban has already appointed MarVista Entertainment to handle international distribution (outside of Asia) of the new season and episodes in the Digimon library. Saban will handle licensing and merchandising of the property in-house.

Japanese animation studio Toei Animation, which produces the series, will handle licensing and distribution in Asia.

The long-running Japanese anime property explores a digital world where powerful creatures known as Digimon, or digital monsters, battle for supremacy.