It seems that DC and Mattel haven’t completely parted ways after all.
In Dec. 2018 it was announced that Spin Master would be taking over the DC license. There was some initial confusion over what exactly was moving away from Mattel, but it then appeared that it came down to the action figures. At the time Mattel would be keeping the license for preschool and girls’ toys.
Now comes the news the license has been extended and it will cover the girls, preschool, and vehicle categories. If you’re unsure what each of those are, DC Super Hero Girls dolls would fall under the girls license, Imaginext would be the preschool category, and Hot Wheels would be in the vehicle category.
Mattel Extends Global Licensing Partnership With Warner Bros. Consumer Products For DC Agreement extends rights to iconic DC characters in the girls, preschool and vehicles categories, among others – Agreement will support and grow the core DC Universe, as well as all new content for “DC Super Hero Girls”EL SEGUNDO, Calif., May 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) today announced that it has extended its global licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Consumer Products and will continue to be the toy licensee for DC in the girls, preschool, vehicles, games and novelty toy categories. This agreement will support and grow existing DC Universe franchises as well as new content for “DC Super Hero Girls.”
“DC is home to some of the world’s greatest super heroes and extending our partnership will ensure we’re able to support the growth of this iconic brand and bring it to even more audiences,” said Janet Hsu, Chief Franchise Management Officer of Mattel. “Mattel is known for its winning design and innovation and, as the category leaders in dolls, vehicles and preschool, we’re thrilled to support Warner Bros. long term franchise plans.”
“Mattel has been our partner on DC for over 15 years and really knows our characters and understands the special connection they have with our fans,” said Stephen Teglas, Senior Vice President, North America, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “Their leadership in the Pre-School, Vehicle and Girl categories will help us bring great toys and experiences to DC fans of all ages.”
This agreement continues Mattel’s efforts to expand the company’s brand into new commercial opportunities and builds upon its strong licensing partnerships with Disney, Universal Pictures, Nickelodeon, WWE, Microsoft and others.
With the hold Mattel has on all three of these categories, it’s highly likely it will remain the main company for those DC products for some time to come.
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