Speculation is intensifying that Lionsgate is getting closer to a deal to acquire the Hasbro-owned Entertainment One. The timing is not coincidental.
Hasbro is set to report second quarter 2023 earnings Thursday morning. The company’s CEO Chris Cocks had said in February that “we expect to have an update in the second quarter,” so he probably would like to give investors said update on the Q2 call.
Sources close to the situation caution that, while there is an effort to close the deal by Thursday, negotiations are still ongoing and they may not be completed in time for the Hasbro earnings announcement.
Reps for Hasbro and Lionsgate declined comment or did not respond to a request for comment. M&A — and all dealmaking — in Hollywood has slowed down amid overall economic woes and two strikes against the studios, one by the WGA and one by SAG-AFTRA.
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