In these times of uncertainty around the globe, there are some positive stories. Not that profit matters one jot right now, but the arrival of social distancing and self isolating and Disney Plus landing in the UK and Europe earlier this week has seen a noticeable upswing in orders for Hasbro products that have anything to do with Baby Yoda.
Disney+, which launched in the US in November 2019, had amassed 28.6m subscribers as of February, but from 14th-16th March – when drastic social distancing measures kicked in in many American cities – sign-ups tripled compared to the weekend before.
Disney+, which launched in Europe on the 24th March, is also boosting Hasbro’s licensed toy sales, thanks in particular to the popularity of Baby Yoda (officially called The Child) from the Disney+ original Star Wars show The Mandalorian. As reported in December, demand for Baby Yoda product was already through the roof, but the increase in at-home streaming as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic has boosted interest even further.
