Hasbro acquires Peppa Pig owner for US$4 billion

Toy company Hasbro has acquired owner of children TV franchise Peppa Pig, Entertainment One (eOne) in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately US$4 billion. The acquisition of eOne adds global family brands (Peppa Pig, PJ Masks, Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom and more) to Hasbro’s portfolio.It also looks to provide a pipeline of new brand creation driven by family-oriented storytelling, which will now include Hasbro’s intellectual property (IP). In addition, eOne’s capabilities to bring high-quality content across platforms looks to strengthen Hasbro’s end-to-end ability to monetise and bring to market its IP in increasingly new formats, including over-the-top (OTT) and premium platforms, music, location-based entertainment, AR and VR. Hasbro currently has My Little Pony, Nerf, and Power Rangers among others under its wing.According to Brian Goldner, Hasbro chairman and chief executive officer, Hasbro will leverage eOne’s entertainment capabilities to bring its portfolio of brands that have appeal to gamers, fans and families to all screens globally. “We are excited to welcome eOne’s talented employees from around the world into the Hasbro family,” he said.Allan Leighton, eOne’s chairman of the board said this development is a testament to eOne management’s vision, leadership and execution. He added that this transaction creates significant, immediate value for its shareholders as it recognises the strength of the company’s future-facing business model.Darren Throop, chief executive officer of eOne said there is a cultural fit between the two companies; eOne’s stated mission is to unlock the power and value of creativity which aligns with Hasbro’s corporate objectives. He added that the eOne teams will continue work bolstered by the access to Hasbro’s extensive portfolio of creative IP and merchandising strength.“In addition, the resulting expanded Hasbro presence in Canada through eOne’s deep roots will bring talent and production capabilities to Hasbro. Along with our leadership team, I look forward to working with Hasbro on our joint growth and success for many years to come,” Throop said.(Photo courtesy: Peppa Pig Facebook)