As far as the near future, I don’t believe you’d see any real changes in the marketing of Thomas or the toy lines. Hasbro DOES have a much friendlier relationship with Takara Tomy but how that would play out for us as customers can’t be known.
It’s also worth keeping in mind that these rumors have circulated before and in fact, I think these companies have actually considered a merger at least once in the last 15 years or so. To be honest, I would rather see them remain separate competitors than join into some mega corporate juggernaut. In the long run, I think it fosters a healthier market and more innovation.
