So much for all the hoo-rah about the Henson family buying back The Jim Henson Co. last year:

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) and The Jim Henson Company today announced that they have entered into an agreement under which Disney will acquire the beloved “Muppets” and “Bear in the Big Blue House” properties from Henson.

The transaction includes all Muppet assets, including the Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo and Animal characters, the Muppet film and television library, and all associated copyrights and trademarks, as well as all the “Bear in the Big Blue House” characters, television library, copyrights and trademarks. The parties have signed a binding purchase agreement and expect the transaction to close within two months, subject to receiving the necessary regulatory clearances. The transaction does not include the “Sesame Street” characters, such as Big Bird and Elmo, which are separately owned by Sesame Workshop..

Christ, they could have had Elmo. Elmo and Michael Eisner deserve each other.

But I guess Eisner and Brian Henson do, too.