WotC Hasbro's Tabletop Is On The Up Again

After a disappointing 2023, with hobby channel sales struggling and a reported decline in Dungeons & Dragons, the latest earnings call from Hasbro, covering the first quarter of 2024, shows tabletop games starting to recover.

Total gaming sales (which includes everything from Magic: the Gathering to Monopoly) were up 6%, with Wizards of the Coast in particular showing strong growth of 7%.

• Hasbro's overall revenues: -24%
• Digital and licensed game sales: +14%
• Overall tabletop gaming: +5%
• Magic the Gathering: +4%

Overall, Hasbro showed a 24% drop in revenues, partly attributed to the sales of Hasbro's film and TV business. Tabletop sales, however, showed growth, led by Magic: the Gathering.

The report calls out the success of Baldur's Gate 3, and talks about new licensing agreements with video game studios Resolution Games and Game Loft, along with partnerships with companies like LEGO.

Magic: the Gathering is expected to be down in 2024 after a record 2024, with WotC's revenue expected to drop by 3-5%.

Also mentioned are "more exciting innovations from our D&D team later this year as we continue to scale D&D Beyond and expand the richness of tabletop gameplay to digital."

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Serious card players (e.g. poker) will generally open sealed decks each game to prevent marking, so they get through a lot.