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31 Aug
Posted by Yehuda Berlinger as Card Games, Modern Board Games, Other
Hasbro recently extended its contract with Marvel until 2017. This is their joint site. It includes toys and games for Iron Man, Spiderman, Transformers, Hulk, Fantastic Four, Wolverine, and others.
Hasbro has a deal with Disney, too. Games and toys, not to mention their joint toy store in Orlando, Once Upon a Toy.
Now Disney bought Marvel for $4 billion. (Marvel sued Disney back in 2004, claiming it was owed royalties after Disney bought Fox Family Channel, which in turn owned Marvel cartoons.)
What does this mean for Hasbro? Disney is more likely to want to save Marvel TV programming for its own networks, rather than let Hasbro create Marvel programming for its new TV network. (source) Disney also has license agreements with Mattel; this will give it considerably more leverage when dealing with Hasbro.
Upper Deck also has a “multi-year” Marvel license. This is their joint site (playmarvel.com). Upper Deck also has a Disney license, here.
What does this mean for Upper Deck? Well, for one thing, Upper Deck’s major competitor, Topps, which won an exclusive MLB license earlier this month (source), is run by former Disney CEO, Michael Eisner. (source) (Upper Deck tried to buy Topps in 2007, but Eisner outbid them.)
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