Lionsgate Closes Acquisition Of eOne From Hasbro

Jill Goldsmith
·2 min read

Lionsgate said today its acquisition of global entertainment platform eOne from Hasbro is done.

The transaction announced last August adds 6,500 film and television titles to Lionsgate’s large library; diversifies and strengthens its scripted and unscripted television businesses; extends its portfolio of brands and franchises; and expands its presence in Canada and the UK.

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The deal is for $375 million in cash plus the assumption of some production financing loans.

EOne produces ABC hit franchise The Rookie, critically-acclaimed Showtime series Yellowjackets, and the long-running Discovery unscripted series Naked & Afraid. The library has 1917, Atomic Blonde, Green Book, Grey’s Anatomy, Criminal Minds, Renegade and Designated Survivor.

The transaction also includes film development rights to Hasbro’s Monopoly brand. Lionsgate knows that property well and had specifically carved out the film development rights as part of the overall deal. Most Hasbro IP led by family brands will remain with the Pawtucket, RI-based toymaker including animated projects Peppa Pig, Transformers: EarthSpark, and My Little Pony: Tell Your Tale. Hasbro’s restructured creative development and business affairs team — now called Hasbro Entertainment — will be shepherding its projects and development of franchises that also include GI Joe, Play-Doh, D&D and Magic: The Gathering, Power Rangers and the company’s board game portfolio. When the eOne deal was announced in August, Hasbro said it had 30+ projects in development.

said when the deal was announced that it was retaining a creative development and business affairs team to shepherd its 30+ Hasbro-based projects and development of the Transformers and GI Joe franchises, Play-Doh, D&D, Magic: The Gathering and Hasbro’s board game portfolio.

“The eOne acquisition concludes a busy year in which we continued to execute our strategy of strengthening our studio business as we prepare for the separation of Lionsgate and STARZ into pure play standalone companies,” said Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer.  “As we’ve conducted our integration planning, our analysis has reaffirmed our conviction that eOne will be a valuable and highly accretive addition to our business.  We are pleased to welcome eOne’s talented group of employees to our Lionsgate family.”

With this deal closed, Lionsgate last week confirmed it will split the studio business and Starz in the first quarter. The studio will combine with a SPAC called Screaming Eagle and become a standalone publicly traded company. Lionsgate, which also renewal its 3 Arts partnership with an increased majority stake recently, is on a nice run with it the stock up 88% this year.

Jefferies & Co., Sheppard Mullin and Denton’s Canada LLP advised Lionsgate on the eOne transaction.

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