The LEGO Group has completed its acquisition of LEGOLAND Discovery Centres, bringing the popular attractions into the core company for the first time.
LEGOLAND Discovery Centres are officially under ownership of the LEGO Group, as the company completed its purchase of the attractions from Merlin Entertainments.
Unlike LEGOLAND parks, LEGOLAND Discovery Centres were never under the ownership of the LEGO Group — they were created and owned by Merlin Entertainments from their inception. It is worth noting though that Merlin Entertainments is owned by the LEGO Group’s founding family, so from an outside perspective this is more a reorganisation of assets than a significant change. Discovery Centres offer a taste of LEGO fun similar to LEGOLAND resorts but do so on a smaller scale and in a completely indoor environment. The first opened in Berlin in 2007 and they quickly expanded their global reach to outnumber LEGOLAND theme parks.
The sale — with a £0.2 billion cash consideration — transfers ownership of all 29 Discovery Centres around the world; there 15 in North America, 7 in Europe and 7 combined in Asia and Australia. Five are simply branded as ‘LEGO Discovery Centres’ but fall under the same category as the LEGOLAND Discovery Centres. 1,500 employees across all locations will now find themselves as official LEGO colleagues.
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Merlin Entertainments and the LEGO Group aren’t fully separate entities; they both fall under the KIRKBI umbrella, the LEGO Group founding family’s investment firm. KIRKBI holds a majority stake in Merlin. Since the entertainment company was taken into private ownership, there has been gradual improvements in synergy with the LEGO brand — with the Discovery Centres being folded into the LEGO Group and former LEGO House Managing Director Kathrine Kirk Muff leading the new division, it’s likely that there will be more investment and improvements over time.
“We are excited to welcome the Discovery Centres to the LEGO Group,” said LEGO CEO Niels B Christiansen. “They will play an important role in helping us to connect with even more fans around the world. We are looking forward to more than 1,500 talented colleagues joining the team and continuing to delight millions of guests each year. We would like to thank Merlin Entertainments for their work over the past 20 years to build fun, playful brand experiences around the world.”
“We are immensely proud of the Centres and the role they have played in inspiring children and families through play for nearly two decades,” added Merlin Entertainments CEO Fiona Eastwood. “As they join the LEGO Group, Merlin will strengthen its focus on bringing the LEGO brand to life on an epic scale through LEGOLAND Resorts. We look forward to building on our long-standing partnership with the LEGO Group to bring more families together through play.”
LEGOLAND Resorts will continue to be operated by Merlin Entertainments under a long-term licence from the LEGO Group. Not much is expected to change with how Discovery Centres operate, but be sure to keep your eyes here for any updates regarding LEGOLAND Discovery Centres, LEGOLAND Parks and more.
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