More information about SPIN MASTER
Spin Master was founded in Canada in 1994 by childhood friends, Ronnen Harary and Anton Rabie, soon after graduating from Western University . Ben Varadi, a former classmate of Anton's, joined them that same year. The nascent entrepreneurs, funded with their own $10,000 investment, launched their first product - the Earth Buddy - a nylon stocking-covered head of sawdust topped with grass seeds which grew to emulate hair. Earth Buddy generated $1.5 million in sales within the first six months of business launch, planting the seed that would springboard Spin Master into the toy industry. Spin Master has grown significantly since its inception, transforming from a small, single product operation into a leading global children's entertainment company with a diverse portfolio of innovative toys, entertainment franchises and digital games. Twenty-seven years later, Spin Master is a publicly listed company with 28 offices around the world and over 2,000 employees. Today, our entertainment properties are viewed in more than 190 countries and we distribute toys in more than 100 markets. Best known for innovation, both from its own internal product and design teams and from its rich network of inventor partnerships, Spin Master has created award-winning brands that entertain and inspire children and families. Evergreen properties like PAW Patrol, Bakugan, Hatchimals, Kinetic Sand and Air Hogs have solidified Spin Master’s leadership position in the toy industry. One of Spin Master’s most successful toy lines is Bakugan, which first launched in 2007. The Bakugan brand started out as an inventor’s sketch of a ball that could be opened to reveal a character inside and evolved into a television series and a video game and went on to become a phenom in 53 countries around the world. Working with Sega, TMS, Japan Vistec, Corus Television, and Nelvana Entertainment, Bakugan was Spin Master’s single biggest example of the strength of partnerships, instituting a revenue sharing model that is now a pillar of the company’s success. Spin Master is constantly pushing the boundaries, reimagining products and play experiences. From the pop-open action of Bakugan, PAW Patrol playsets and vehicles that let preschoolers act out adventures in the playroom and the overwhelming breakthrough innovation of Hatchimals, Spin Master products have shaken up the industry, generating significant consumer and media buzz, industry recognition while providing magical experiences for kids around the globe. The company has also been entrusted as the toy licensee in collaboration with leaders in the entertainment world, including Disney. Spin Master pursues toy licenses for leading brands and is currently the toy licensee for many popular properties, including Monster Jam, Supercross, Warner Bros. Consumer Products’ DC and Wizarding World brands and DreamWorks’ How to Train Your Dragon. Strategic acquisitions have been a focus for Spin Master over the past several years. Acquisitions, including Rubik's Cube, GUND, Cardinal Games, SwimWays, Aerobie, Etch a Sketch, Perplexus, Orbeez, Meccano, Tech Deck and Marbles, have played a significant role in Spin Master’s growth, diversifying brand portfolios while also providing recurring revenue and opportunities for further innovation. The toy teams at Spin Master have an unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation bringing meticulous detail to each item. As a result, Spin Master’s products have received numerous awards including 115 Toy of The Year (TOTY) nominations with 32 wins across a variety of product categories, including 13 TOTY nominations for Innovative Toy of the Year. These awards demonstrate Spin Master’s commitment pushing the boundaries of creativity and fun. The launch of Bakugan in 2007, and its accompanying zeitgeist, provided the catalyst for Spin Master to build upon this content development success with further TV shows and videogames. With a mandate to develop compelling “toyetic” cross-platform children’s content in tandem with great toys, Spin Master launched an Entertainment division in 2008. With the ball rolling, in 2009, Spin Master Entertainment set out to create a preschool series rooted in action and adventure. With the goal being to create relatable, exciting and aspirational characters and stories for young children, the teams approached a short list of renowned creators and best in class studios in the preschool space. Keith Chapman was one of those creators who then presented an idea for Robbie’s Rescue Dogs. The Spin Master team, together with Chapman, workshopped this initial concept eventually creating PAW Patrol which first aired in North America in 2013. Currently entering its ninth season on Nickelodeon, PAW Patrol's universal messaging resonates with children around the world airing in over 160 countries and in 30 languages. Representing a new chapter for this continually growing entertainment franchise, in August 2021, Spin Master Entertainment took PAW Patrol from the small screen to the big screen. PAW Patrol: The Movie, is a major motion picture animated feature film, a Spin Master Entertainment production in association with Nickelodeon Movies and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Spin Master’s first foray into the arena of feature film marked a significant strategic expansion for Spin Master Entertainment, demonstrating a commitment to harnessing internal entertainment production teams to develop and deliver intellectual property in a motion picture format. The PAW Patrol movie was the first of a number of feature films in the works by Spin Master Entertainment with a second movie, PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, set for exclusive theatrical release on October 13, 2023. Today, Spin Master Entertainment creates and produces compelling multiplatform content, stories and characters through their in-house studio, based in Toronto, Canada, and partnerships with outside creators. Spin Master Entertainment has created 10 series including PAW Patrol, Bakugan and Abby Hatcher as well as multiple short form series. In 2020, Spin Master launched its first direct to Netflix series: Mighty Express. In 2021, building off the success of PAW Patrol, Spin Master Entertainment along with Nickelodeon announced a new PAW Patrol television series spin-off for one of the main pups set to debut in 2023.
Over time, the content landscape has shifted, and kids’ consumption habits and preferences have evolved. Spin Master has closely studied play patterns and the convergence between physical brands, entertainment franchises and mobile digital platforms and has evolved to keep kids entertained and inspired. In 2012, Spin Master’s Digital Games division launched the company’s first digital gaming app for Tech Deck. Other successful apps connected to entertainment and toy intellectual property followed and in 2016, Spin Master further expanded it’s offering in the digital space with the acquisition of leading global mobile and digital app brands Toca Boca and Sago Mini. Trusted by parents, evident by its network of millions of users, the acquisitions provided Spin Master with a strong brand presence in the digital toys and games category. Today, Spin Master has an established digital presence anchored by the Toca Boca® and Sago Mini® brands, which combined have more than 65 million monthly active users. Spin Master Studios, based in Los Angeles, has launched 38 apps played by over 30 million kids.
Over the years the founders have shared a vision rooted in innovation, partnership, collaboration and creativity. Spin Master continues to be guided by the inspiration of its founders, who remain actively engaged in the business today.
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