Jon Feltheimer Lionsgate
Lionsgate took a step forward by buying Entertainment One (eOne) from Hasbro for nearly US$500 million. Hasbro had some time looking for a buyer for the production and distribution company, and Lionsgate was the right one.
Lionsgate paid in cash US$375 million out of the US$500 million, and the company will pay the rest by taking on the current eOne’s debt, mainly for financing different productions. The deal does not include eOne’s children’s segment.
This acquisition gives Lionsgate a library of more than 6,500 film and television titles, including films such as 1917, and the rights to develop content for Hasbro games such as Monopoly.
Jon Feltheimer, CEO of Lionsgate, said: “With eOne, we are adding a world-class library with thousands of properties, which will strengthen our scripted and non-scripted television business and continue our expansion to Canada and the UK.”
