eNews
Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters set to conquer toy aisles as Mattel & Hasbro get on board licensing bandwagon
LOS ANGELES: Netflix has pulled off something rare: getting Mattel and Hasbro—bitter rivals in the toy wars—to share the spoils of its cultural juggernaut, KPop Demon Hunters. Both companies will serve as global co-master toy licensees, carving up a merchandise empire to satisfy fans who have turned the film into the streaming giant’s most-watched movie ever.
Released in June 2025, the film has obliterated records with 325m views in 91 days. Its soundtrack hit number one on Billboard’s 200 Albums chart and has been streamed 8.3bn times. The single Golden became the longest-running number one by a girl group on the Billboard Hot 100 this century. All five main characters dominated Halloween costume searches, proving the frenzy extends well beyond the screen.
“KPop Demon Hunters unleashed a global fan frenzy—we’re talking dancing, singing, and more screaming than anyone was emotionally prepared for,” said Netflix chief marketing officer Marian Lee. The partnership, she added, means fans can finally get their hands on merchandise “they’ve been not-so-subtly demanding on every social platform known to humanity.”
Mattel will unleash dolls, action figures, playsets and collectibles starting in 2026, with a presale three-pack of Huntr/X dolls available on Mattel Creations from 12 November. Mattel, chief global brand officer Roberto Stanichi promises to harness the company’s “world-class design, creative and marketing expertise” to delight fans worldwide.
Hasbro is taking a different tack, leveraging its arsenal of brands—Monopoly, Nerf, Furby and Wizards of the Coast—for collaborations. Its first salvo is Monopoly Deal: KPop Demon Hunters, available for pre-order from 21 October and shipping on 1 January 2026. The full lineup, including plush toys, youth electronics and role-play gear, arrives in spring 2026.
Hasbro president of toy, licensing and entertainment Tim Kilpin called the film “a powerful pop culture phenomenon with global resonance” that fits seamlessly with the company’s commitment to innovation.
The film follows K-pop superstars Huntr/X, who moonlight as demon hunters protecting fans from supernatural threats—until they face off against a rival boy band of demons. Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, it is produced in partnership with Sony Pictures Animation.
Products from both toy titans will flood retail shelves from spring 2026 through the holiday season and beyond.
For Netflix, Mattel and Hasbro, the bet is simple: why fight over market share when there is enough screaming fandom to go around
eNews
PNB partners Kiwi to launch credit-enabled UPI for users
Targets 180 million customers; RuPay card offers 0.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent cashback
MUMBAI: Swipe, tap, or scan credit is quietly slipping into the rhythm of everyday payments, and Punjab National Bank wants in on the action. The state-run lender has partnered with Kiwi to roll out credit-enabled UPI payments for its 180 million customers, marking a significant push to blend traditional banking with India’s fast-evolving digital payments ecosystem.
At the centre of the collaboration is the launch of the PNB Kiwi Credit Card on the RuPay network. The card is designed with a digital-first approach, offering fully online onboarding and seamless integration with UPI, allowing users to transact via scan-and-pay while accessing credit.
The offering also brings in a rewards layer, with cashback ranging from 0.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent on online transactions, positioning the product as both a convenience play and a spending incentive.
The move comes as UPI continues to dominate India’s digital payments landscape, increasingly blurring the lines between debit-led transactions and credit access. For PNB, which operates over 10,000 branches around 60 per cent in semi-urban and rural areas, the partnership signals a targeted effort to extend formal credit to segments that have traditionally remained underserved.
The collaboration also reflects a broader industry shift, where banks and fintech platforms are converging to embed credit directly into payment flows, reducing friction while expanding access.
With RuPay credit cards gaining traction and UPI evolving beyond peer-to-peer transfers, the PNB–Kiwi tie-up positions both players at the intersection of scale, accessibility, and the next phase of digital finance in India.
