Lionsgate has acquired the TV and film operations of Entertainment One (eOne) from Hasbro for approximately $500 million. The deal remains subject to closing conditions and regulatory approvals.
The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year. It comes ahead of Hasbro’s earnings call this morning and almost four years exactly since Hasbro announced their intent to acquire eOne in a $3.8 billion deal.
The sale will include a team of employees; a content library of nearly 6,500 titles; active productions of non-Hasbro owned IP such as shows like “The Rookie,” “Yellowjackets” and “Naked and Afraid”; and eOne’s unscripted holdings.
The deal also includes rights for certain Hasbro-based shows (eg. “Play-Doh Squished”) and Hasbro’s interest in 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.”
The deal does NOT include popular core Hasbro IP in the family brand division such as “Transformers,” “Dungeons & Dragons,” “Peppa Pig,” “My Little Pony,” “Power Rangers,” “Play-Doh,” “Monopoly” and “Clue”.
All of those are now rolled into Hasbro’s brands licensing and merchandising operation and Cocks confirms Hasbro will continue to develop and produce entertainment (eg. animation, digital shorts, scripted TV and theatrical films) based on those brands which will see “significant development, production and financing capabilities”.
The deal comes as Lionsgate is in the process of separating its film and TV studio from its Starz premium cable and streaming service.
Source: Variety
