Is Hasbro planning to buy Mattel?

This might not seem to be the right space to talk about this a few years back but with gadgets and even connected toys taking up more and more of the attention of children, this doesn’t seem too off tangent. A new report from the Wall Street Journal claims Hasbro recently made an offer to purchase Mattel. It wasn’t said how receptive Mattel was to the idea or how much Hasbro offered but the move would put two hot properties side by side: My Little Pony and Hot Wheels. A merger of the two companies might help both sides. Hasbro, who has been taking advantage of the popularity of its Disney-themed toys as well as licenses from TV and movie deals, can help out Mattel, who is trying to turn around years of failed toy lines.

The acquisition will also give Hasbro access to Mattel’s manufacturing facilities. The former gave up its own facilities a while back. On top of that, Mattel could contribute to building up Hasbro’s tech-driven toys, which they need to develop more of now as they compete with top tech companies for the younger audience. Of course, this might raise concerns about how this could violate US antitrust law but whether this will draw as big a scrutiny and opposition as telecom mergers is something we can’t say yet. Both parties refuse to comment about the rumours.

Source: Engadget