Hasbro, Mattel Reportedly Talking About Making One Big Toy Company To End All Others

Imagine a world where G.I. Joe marries Barbie (or Ken) and then they both drive off in their Hot Wheels car to their My Little Pony ranch — and all these products come from the same company. It’s a possibility, with Mattel and Hasbro reportedly chatting about merging the contents of their respective toy chests.

Bloomberg, citing people close to the matter, reports that the two toymaker behemoths have held an unspecified number of talks related to joining forces.

According to the sources, Hasbro initiated the meet-cute late last year, and the companies have held on-and-off talks about the deal.

Specifics about the potential transaction weren’t available, and the sources caution that the friendly chats might not lead to a deal.

A rep for Hasbro tells Reuters that the company does not comment on rumors or market speculation.

Reps for Mattel declined to comment on the matter to Bloomberg.

The two toy companies previously held merger talks nearly 20 years ago, when Mattel offered to buy Hasbro for $5.2 billion, Reuters reports, but the company withdrew the offer a short time later.

Hasbro, Mattel Said to Have Held Talks About Possible Merger [Bloomberg]
Toymakers Mattel, Hasbro held talks on possible merger: Bloomberg [Reuters]

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