Merchandising
Currently, Bonanza Ventures, Inc. grants merchandising and licensing rights worldwide. The original series spawned successful novelty folk albums from 1962-65, a chain of Bonanza and Ponderosa steakhouses from 1963-present, the Lake Tahoe-based “Ponderosa” theme park from 1967-2004; a line of action figures, lunch buckets and View Master sets from 1965-1973.
Bonanza Gold, a current magazine, features detailed information about the show, including interviews with actors and other production personnel, articles about historical events and people depicted in the series, fan club information and fan fiction.
Bonanza on VHS and DVD
A handful of episodes of the series are in the public domain, and some TV showings of these episodes on low-budget stations and networks (and also on low-budget public domain DVDs and VHS tapes) substitute the familiar theme music for generic music.
In 1973, NBC licensed the syndication rights to the series to National Telefilm Associates, which changed its name to Republic Pictures in the 1980s (by then part of the Spelling Entertainment organization). Select episodes (”The Best of Bonanza”) were officially released in North America in 2003 on DVD via then-Republic video licensee Artisan Entertainment (which was later purchased by Lionsgate Home Entertainment). Republic still retains the syndication distribution rights to the series, and lately the series is distributed worldwide via CBS Paramount Television, which owns the Republic Library. DVD distribution details are currently under on-going negotiation, but CBS DVD is now the home video rights holder.
