Highlights
- Netflix teams up with Mattel and Hasbro to launch “K-Pop Demon Hunters merchandise", dated to debut in spring 2026.
- For the first time, two rival toy giants are co-licensing the product line with dolls, plush, boardgames, and cosplay set marking a rare collaboration.
- The hit animated film’s success drives Netflix’s boldest consumer-product venture, signaling its IP ambitions.
Netflix's animated sensation "KPop Demon Hunters" is heading from screens to store shelves, as the streaming giant announced a global toy and merchandising partnership with Mattel and Hasbro.
The film, which garnered 325 million views within three months of its release, will spawn a range of dolls, action figures, accessories and playsets set to launch in spring 2026. Products from both toy makers will remain in stores through the 2026 holiday season, the companies said.
The collaboration represents Netflix's most ambitious push into consumer products to date, coming as the streamer seeks to build franchises beyond its digital platform. "KPop Demon Hunters" has already demonstrated crossover appeal with its lead single, "Golden," topping both the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, while the film's limited theatrical release generated $18 million at the North American box office during its August sing-along event.
Netflix Streaming Success Drives Major Merchandising Deal
Mattel will handle dolls, figures, accessories and collectibles, while Hasbro focuses on plush toys, youth electronics, role-play kits and board games including a "KPop Demon Hunters" edition of Monopoly Deal.
The dual-licensing arrangement is unusual in the toy industry, where companies typically secure exclusive rights to major properties. This marks the first time Mattel and Hasbro, typically rivals, have partnered as co-master licensees on the same original property. The structure reflects both manufacturers' interest in capturing younger, music-driven audiences.
The partnership marks a significant step in Netflix's efforts to compete with traditional studios such as Walt Disney Co. and Comcast Corp.'s Universal Pictures, which have long parlayed hit films into lucrative merchandise sales. Netflix reported a 17% revenue jump in the third quarter of 2025, attributing growth in part to the cultural impact of "KPop Demon Hunters."
The streaming company has previously licensed properties including "One Piece" to Lego and clothing retailer Zara, and created a "Stranger Things" shop with Walmart Inc., though those efforts were more limited in scope.
The "KPop Demon Hunters" deal signals Netflix's growing sophistication in intellectual-property development, with two major toy companies working in tandem to reach different consumer segments.
