Hasbr-uh-oh - Business and Tariffs Discussion

[CoffeeHorse]

That's actually the theory they're going with. The lost "brand value" here is MTG collectors potentially being less willing to buy future sets because their personal stockpiles are getting devalued by new sets coming out.

It's a genuine risk, but Hasbro can point to decades of experience with many fandoms and say they sincerely believe collectors are going to keep buying the new thing no matter how much they grumble that they're getting burned out. And Hasbro also wants to bring in new players, and new players like deflating aftermarket prices. It's a balancing act with no right answer.

 

[Haywire]

The sadly funny thing is, if you ask my local comic shop guy, the problem with MTG (and Pokemon TCG) is that they don't produce enough cards to meet the demand he has now, and it discourages new buyers from staying in the game.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

He could sue for that, apparently.

 

[Undead Scottsman]

You can basically sue for anything. Actually going to court and/or winning are entirely different things.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

I hope Hasbro's legal department made it through the layoffs okay, because I really want to see them tear this apart in their usual style.

 

[Steevy Maximus]

Despite the lawsuits and fuss, Hasbro is still selling tons of Magic, riding those sales to big gains in 2025:

Magic Momentum: Hasbro Rides Wizards Wave to Big Gains in 2025, Eyes Further Growth in 2026

Magic: The Gathering powers a record year as Digital Gaming lifts results, while Consumer Products and Entertainment face continued pressure.

toybook.com

https://investor.hasbro.com/news-releases/news-release-details/hasbro-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2025-financial

https://investor.hasbro.com/static-files/8cd9c02e-388e-4d85-8c35-e9d21dbe21bb

Besides the fact that MtG and Wizards Digital gaming stuff are still raking in cash, here are some other tidbits:
Action Figures were up, driven by gains in Marvel, Peppa Pig, and Beyblade. GI Joe got a shout out for Q4 performance. Transformers were down over the year, likely the result of the implosion of the Earthspark initiative. Star Wars continues its multi-year decline in POS.
Among Hasbro media initiatives, they might have posted the first look at Avengers Doomsday's poster!

Entertainment was down 5% for the year, with lower digital and ad revenue cited. For 2026, Hasbro has announced a number of new licensing agreements (more on that below) and just launched their...fifth?...FAST Streaming channel in Hasbro Legends.

Announcements made by, or in conjunction with, Hasbro's Q4/FY26 results:
Super7 has acquired licensing for Visionaries, My Little Pony, and Furby

Super7 Names New License Partners Ahead of Toy Fair

Super7 is gearing up for Toy Fair by announcing its upcoming licenses, including Furby, Invincible, and more.

toybook.com

Basic Fun (licensee for Tonka, Stretch Armstrong and Littlest Pet Shop) has been granted a license for Dungeons and Dragons, with its new line, Dungeons and Dragons Questers, slated for release this fall

Basic Fun! Unveils Dungeons & Dragons Toy Line

Basic Fun! is on a roll with its new line of Dungeons & Dragons toys, transforming the role-playing game into collectible action figures.

toybook.com

And the BIG license news for Hasbro is the acquisition of a multi-year GLOBAL MASTER toy license from Warner Bros for the Harry Potter franchise, slated to start in 2027. The same year WBD expects to begin airing the anticipated Harry Potter series adaptation.

Hasbro Named Global Master Toy Licensee for Harry Potter in Multi-Year Deal with Warner Bros. Discovery

Toys and games inspired by the franchise fly onto shelves next year.

toybook.com

 

[CoffeeHorse]

Considering the chaotic state of the entire industry last yer, there is nothing to complain about here.

 

[Magnusblitz]

Confusingly, the first link says "Highlights include [full year] growth in PEPPA PIG, HASBRO GAMING, TRANSFORMERS, Marvel and Beyblade" but the second link has Transformers in the "FY POS Decline" category (slide 31).

 

[CoffeeHorse]

POS is we, the end consumers, actually buying Transformers in a store. It seems there was growth in retailers buying stock from Hasbro, but a decline in us actually buying that stock.

 

[Undead Scottsman]

Considering the chaotic state of the entire industry last yer, there is nothing to complain about here.

Depends on how you feel about Harry Potter.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

If it earns Hasbro enough money to pay for things I actually care about, I'll be happy.

 

[lastmaximal]

That's kind of where I've most recently landed on it too. I'm content to know, and have others know, that the creator of the property is absolute irredeemable unromanticizeable trash. But she's already rich beyond our wildest dreams and it seems unnecessary to deprive ourselves (I'm not in that fandom, but you know what I mean) of something that we connect with and draw positive things from just to avoid adding coins to a hoard. (This is one reason I have no compunctions about pirating things, but it's not like you should have a reason for that either.)

On a different note, I am intrigued by Super 7 getting into Visionaries. I know the hype and hope is likely to be more about Ultimates and bringing back the lenticular stuff (the latter I'm all for), but I think these would be a great fit for Reaction+ (preferably with the aforementioned lenticular stuff).

 

[MrBlud]

Lord Moldemort is quite different from the other (also unethical) Billionaires in that *their* harmful conduct is almost always in pursuit of profit and really an afterthought. They don’t usually go out of their way to inflict harm. Especially when such conduct would result in a loss of profitability.

Rowling would (and hopefully will) drive herself back to the poor house if she can hurt and kill Transgender people along the way.

Really disappointing and gross Hasbro would support that.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

If this is a failure, I will point and laugh at her. If it does well and helps Hasbro fund things I care about, I'll be happy about that. I'm getting something out of this either way.

 

[LordGigaIce]

 

[CoffeeHorse]

Did Mattel get threatened with a 100% tariff for no reason again?

 

[Platypus Prime]

If POS means what I think it does, I'm glad the amount of it is declining. Unfortunately, I also know it doesn't...

 

[Undead Scottsman]

from waht I can tell, Magic the gathering cards are printined in the US, so they we able to avoid the tariff stuff, but Mattel doesn't really have that to fall back on so the tariffs were more devastating.

 

[LordGigaIce]

Did Mattel get threatened with a 100% tariff for no reason again?

Magic has paid off huge for Hasbro and, as @Undead Scottsman said, isn't really impacted by tariff nonsense.

Mattel is trying to compensate for that lost ground by spending big on licences like DC and TMNT, hoping that it'll pay off down the line.

 

[Steevy Maximus]

If POS means what I think it does, I'm glad the amount of it is declining. Unfortunately, I also know it doesn't...

Point of Sale. IIRC, it means that while Transformers, as a whole did okay, sales to consumers were down in Q4. And I feel a LOT of that can be attributed to the absence of Earthspark. While Cyberworld did launch, it was still fewer SKUs than Earthspark was playing with a year prior. There was simply less "stuff" to buy for the brand. IMO

Magic has paid off huge for Hasbro and, as @Undead Scottsman said, isn't really impacted by tariff nonsense.

Mattel is trying to compensate for that lost ground by spending big on licences like DC and TMNT, hoping that it'll pay off down the line.

As is...Mattel still did okay. This stock drop is basically a kneejerk reaction to Mattel not making AS much money as investors feel they should have. Remember, Mattel still had higher revenue than Hasbro and is still profitable. It bears reiterating that Hasbro, minus Wizards of the Coast, didn't do that fantastically. Magic is very much "proping up" the company as a whole.