Lionsgate Acquires Hasbro's eOne Film and TV Production Company for $500 Million
Lionsgate has acquired Hasbro’s Entertainment One’s (eOne) film and TV production company for $500 million. The transaction is said to close by the end of the year.
Hasbro announced plans to sell its eOne assets last November. The sale would include the parts of the indie studio’s TV and film operations “not directly supporting the company’s branded entertainment strategy” and “Hasbro will maintain the capability to develop and produce animation, digital shorts, scripted TV and theatrical films for audiences related to core Hasbro IP.”
Hasbro shared in a press release: “The sale will include a talented team of employees, a content library of nearly 6,500 titles, active productions for non-Hasbro owned IP like The Rookie, Yellowjackets and Naked and Afraid franchises, and the eOne unscripted business, which will include rights for certain Hasbro-based shows like Play-Doh Squished.” The sale also includes Hasbro’s interest in the Canadian film & TV operations of eOne Canada Limited.
Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks said in a statement: “This sale fully aligns with our strategy, and we are pleased to bring the process to a successful close. Lionsgate’s management team is experienced in entertainment and adept at driving value, and we’re glad to have found such a good home for our eOne film & TV business. We look forward to partnering with them, especially on a movie adaptation of Monopoly.”
Cocks continued: “Entertainment remains a priority for Hasbro. Hasbro will continue to develop and produce entertainment based on the rich vault of Hasbro-owned brands. We will also bring to life new original ideas designed to fuel all areas of Hasbro’s blueprint including toys, publishing, gaming, licensed consumer products, and location-based entertainment. As part of the sale, we expect to move to an asset-lite model for future live-action entertainment, relying on licensing and partnerships with select co-productions.”
The sale comes almost four years after Hasbro announced their plan to acquire eOne in a $3.8 billion deal in August 2019.
Properties that were not included in the deal include Transformers, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, Peppa Pig, My Little Pony, Power Rangers, Play-Doh, Monopoly, and Clue.