Toymaker Hasbro has signed a licensing deal with LA-based Kilburn Live to create, build and operate themed family entertainment centers across the US and Canada. The indoor play facilities will feature multiple activity zones plastered with well-known Hasbro brands.
IPs that may figure into the plan include My Little Pony (pictured), Monopoly, Mr. Potato Head, GI Joe, Clue, Battleship, Hungry Hungry Hippo, Trivial Pursuit and Chutes and Ladders. Kilburn says this is the first phase of a broader partnership with Hasbro, and it has hired former Main Event Entertainment CEO Charlie Keegan to head up the division that will develop the North American facilities.
Live- and location-based extensions of all shapes and sizes are becoming increasingly popular amongst kids brand owners. Nickelodeon teamed up with leisure park operator Parques Reunidos to launch its first branded location in Spain in 2016, and Singapore’s One Animation signed a strategic partnership with Chinese congolmerate CMC earlier this year to open 15 Oddbods-themed play centers over the next eight years.