Lionsgate Closes Deal to Acquire eOne From Hasbro for $500 Million

variety.com:

Lionsgate has acquired Entertainment One’s (eOne)TV and film operations from Hasbro for approximately $500 million. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year.

News of the sale — which broke just ahead of Hasbro’s Q2 2023 earnings call, scheduled for Thursday morning — comes nearly four years to the date when Hasbro announced their intent to acquire eOne in a $3.8 billion deal in August 2019.

According to a press release from Hasbro, “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. “This sale fully aligns with our strategy, and we are pleased to bring the process to a successful close,” Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks said in a statement. “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.