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New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
College football's sneakiest favorite, plus a quick history of CFB in Germany
Until Saturday Newsletter 🏈 | This is The Athletic's college football newsletter. Sign up here to receive Until Saturday directly in your inbox. Today in college football news, 'Expedition 33' is my favorite 'Final Fantasy' game ever. To be clear, it is not a 'Final Fantasy' game. If you polled 100 college football fans on which FBS teams are expected to win each conference this year, I'm sure most could name the betting favorites in the ACC (Clemson), Big Ten (Ohio State), Mountain West (Boise State) and SEC (Texas), plus probably CUSA (Liberty) and the Sun Belt (JMU). Maybe the MAC too, where I assume Toledo will again be the favorite in 2099. Advertisement But what about the Big 12? After Arizona State's playoff run, arguably Iowa State's best season ever and a half-year of Texas Tech transfer talk? Plus the usual Colorado rubbernecking? And maybe some assumptions that Oklahoma State or Utah will bounce back, just like TCU did last year? The Big 12's favorite — according to BetMGM, FPI, SP+ and whatever else — is Kansas State, followed by a giant bottleneck. Oh right, Kansas State! Wait, the team that went 5-4 in conference last year, finishing eighth in a 16-team league? At first glance, picking K-State kinda feels like a shrug. (A shrug by the computers? Yes, computers can decline to answer. Haven't you seen '2001'?) But for more, I asked Kellis Robinett, beat writer for the Wichita Eagle/Kansas City Star: Why do you think this under-the-radar team is so widely favored? 'Kansas State is always a safe bet in the Big 12, because the Wildcats have such a high floor. Chris Klieman has averaged nine wins over the past four seasons, and he won a conference title in 2022. Even though K-State lost some high-end talent during the offseason, it brings back big stars at quarterback (Avery Johnson), running back (Dylan Edwards), and wide receiver (Jayce Brown). Austin Romaine also seems poised for a breakout season on defense. Arizona State is the defending champ, and Texas Tech is the biggest spender in the league, but K-State has proven to be consistently better than both.' Honestly, I'm nearly sold on K-State just by Klieman's consistency. Why not pick the team that has been most immune to the Big 12's feared Random Results Generator? (On top of that, picking a team that just finished in the middle is probably a safe bet. As has been frequently noted, last year's Big 12 preseason picks were nearly the opposite of the final standings. Avoid the bookends.) Before we leave the Big 12, yes, I asked David Ubben the obligatory Colorado question (more on Deion Sanders in a sec): Wtf will this team be now that Heisman winner Travis Hunter and school-record-smashing QB Shedeur Sanders are gone? 'The short version is: better than people who aren't paying attention think. Colorado had two of the five most famous players in the country last year, who were also stellar talents. This year, they start with little to no star power, but Sanders and his staff have quietly improved the roster on both sides of the ball, which raises the floor for this team quite a bit. They won't be as explosive in the passing game without Sanders, Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr., but they'll be good enough, and the running game should improve. I'm not sure I see a contender for the Big 12 title in this roster, but I do see a bowl team.' More Big 12: 🙏 'Deion Sanders had his bladder removed in May after doctors discovered an aggressive cancerous tumor, the Colorado football coach announced at a Monday news conference.' He's back at work now. Many more details here. 🏈 Stewart Mandel on the Week 1 games that will actually impact the CFP. (As in, Texas-Ohio State might not end up meaning much if they both make it anyway.) 👀 That 15-year storyline about the Big Ten and SEC potentially dueling over North Carolina in realignment? Heating back up. 📰 News: 🌀 A tale of two QBs: 📺 Media days, where the big leagues wrapped up last week: 🎤 Take The Athletic's survey on everything you love and hate about CFB right now. (Like me, you should vote to replace the entire CFP with the one true format: a plus-one title game at the Rose Bowl, with its participants to be selected after bowl season.) International college football has been a thing since almost literally the very beginning. (For one thing, the sport was so directly modeled on a version of English rugby, it's actually kinda hard to pinpoint when it actually became American football. For another, Montreal's McGill University was among the Canadian pioneers of the sport in the 1870s.) Since then, American colleges have sent football teams to bowls in the Bahamas, Canada, Cuba and Japan; FBS neutral-siters in Australia and Ireland; and lower-level games in Bermuda, China, Italy, Mexico, Tanzania and the UK, plus (per NCAA records) collegiate-adjacent games among American military installations in Algeria, Iran, New Guinea, the Philippines, Suriname and some Pacific islands. So when you hear Michigan and Western Michigan are planning to open 2026 in Frankfurt as the first FBS teams to play in Germany, know it's not just Modern College Football Chasing Trends And Trying To Be The NFL. It's also College Football Just Being Itself. OK, that's all for today. Email me at untilsaturday@ to tell me which country should host a CFB game next. Last week's most-clicked: Obviously, it was 'Ranking every Power 4 team by how much they'd sell for.' 💰 📫 Love Until Saturday? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters, too.
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hasbro's Magic: The Gathering growth helps offset toy revenue drop
This story was originally published on Retail Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Retail Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: As it undergoes a turnaround effort, Hasbro's second quarter revenue dropped 1% year over year to $980.8 million, according to a company press release Wednesday. The company's 16% growth in its Wizards and digital gaming segment (which includes Magic: The Gathering) helped to nearly offset a 16% revenue drop in its consumer products category, which saw softness in toys due to 'order timing and geographic volatility,' per the release. Hasbro reported a net loss of about $854.7 million for the quarter compared to a net income of $138.5 million the year before. The company also recorded a $798 million operating loss inclusive of a $1 billion noncash goodwill impairment charge. The toy company raised its full-year guidance, now anticipating a revenue increase in the mid-single digits on a constant currency basis (compared to previous predictions that it would be 'up slightly') and an adjusted operating margin of 22% to 23% (compared to the previous 21% to 22% prediction). Dive Insight: Hasbro's Magic: The Gathering performance helped fuel the company's Q2 performance despite a tough environment for toys. 'Hasbro's return to growth in the first half of 2025 is clear validation that our Playing to Win strategy is working,' Chief Executive Officer Chris Cocks said in a statement. 'We delivered record-setting results from Magic: The Gathering, alongside strong contributions from our games portfolio, licensing partnerships, and digital initiatives.' Magic: The Gathering experienced 23% growth driven by a tabletop card game release for Final Fantasy, which debuted in June. Cocks told analysts on a Wednesday call that Hasbro had to increase production runs four times since its launch and the company even 'left demand on the table.' The executive also said that 2025 is the year Hasbro will return to growth. Tariffs remained a discussion point on the call for Hasbro, which in April had not changed its full-year guidance due to the volatile trade environment. Hasbro's inventory is up 17% year over year, according to a Q2 results presentation from the company, with production and shipments having restarted from China in May. Since then, potential tariffs on imports from China have dropped to an additional 30%, which is more 'favorable' for Hasbro though such rates remain fluid, CFO and COO Gina Goetter told analysts on the call. 'Based on our conversations with investors, expectations were high heading into the Q2 print, but [Hasbro] reported strong Q2 results,' analysts led by Jefferies said in a note shared with Retail Dive. The improved company outlook is on the back of a turnaround plan announced in February, which includes a focus on creating mid-single-digit revenue growth between 2025 and 2027, as well as adding $1 billion in gross cost savings. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
HAS Q2 Deep Dive: MAGIC Drives Growth Amid Tariffs and Consumer Product Shifts
Toy and entertainment company Hasbro (NASDAQ:HAS) reported Q2 CY2025 results topping the market's revenue expectations , but sales fell by 1.5% year on year to $980.8 million. Its non-GAAP profit of $1.30 per share was 68.6% above analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy HAS? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Hasbro (HAS) Q2 CY2025 Highlights: Revenue: $980.8 million vs analyst estimates of $882.1 million (1.5% year-on-year decline, 11.2% beat) Adjusted EPS: $1.30 vs analyst estimates of $0.77 (68.6% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $302 million vs analyst estimates of $227.6 million (30.8% margin, 32.7% beat) EBITDA guidance for the full year is $1.19 billion at the midpoint, above analyst estimates of $1.12 billion Operating Margin: -81.4%, down from 21.3% in the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $10.77 billion StockStory's Take Hasbro's second quarter results reflected meaningful momentum in its Wizards of the Coast business, particularly with the MAGIC: THE GATHERING franchise, which offset softer performance in the consumer products division. While overall sales declined modestly, management cited MAGIC's 23% year-over-year growth and the robust performance of the Final Fantasy set as key drivers. CEO Chris Cocks highlighted, 'Final Fantasy took one day to deliver what Lord of the Rings did in six months,' underscoring the magnitude of demand. Management acknowledged that U.S. consumer product sales were impacted by shifts in retailer ordering patterns and macroeconomic uncertainty, as well as timing issues tied to tariffs. Looking ahead, Hasbro's updated guidance is underpinned by ongoing strength in MAGIC: THE GATHERING, further product releases in the Universes Beyond portfolio, and cost management initiatives to mitigate tariff headwinds. CFO Gina Goetter cautioned that the impact of tariffs would be more pronounced in the second half, stating, 'We haven't seen any of that tariff impact in the P&L quite yet ... that starts to manifest in the back half of the year.' Management also pointed to upcoming launches such as Spider-Man and Avatar: The Last Airbender sets, as well as ongoing diversification of the supply chain, as central to sustaining growth and protecting margins. Key Insights from Management's Remarks Management attributed the quarter's outperformance to continued MAGIC: THE GATHERING expansion and effective cost control amid shifting retailer behavior and trade policy uncertainty. MAGIC: THE GATHERING momentum: The franchise delivered its strongest quarter ever, driven by the success of the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond set, which became the highest-grossing MAGIC release to date. Management noted that community engagement set new records, with MagicCon Las Vegas drawing over 19,000 attendees and organized play up 40% year-over-year. Retailer inventory timing: U.S. consumer product sales declined as retailers delayed holiday inventory purchases and shifted from direct imports to domestic fulfillment, largely due to tariff-related uncertainty. Management expects much of this delayed ordering to recover in the third and fourth quarters as holiday demand builds. Tariff mitigation efforts: Leadership detailed a playbook for managing higher input costs, including cost reductions, supplier diversification, and selective price increases. About 50% of U.S. toy and game volume currently originates from China, but Hasbro aims to reduce this to less than 40% by 2027. Digital and licensing growth: Hasbro's licensing and digital gaming segments continued to outperform, with MONOPOLY GO! hitting new user and revenue milestones. The company also announced a new casino gaming licensing partnership to further diversify high-margin revenue streams. Operational transformation progress: Management highlighted $98 million in gross savings year-to-date from transformation initiatives across supply chain, SG&A, and product development, aiming to reach $175–$225 million in savings for the year. These efforts helped maintain profitability despite headwinds in consumer products. Drivers of Future Performance Hasbro's forward outlook hinges on MAGIC: THE GATHERING expansion, cost control measures, and the ability to navigate tariff-related risks in consumer products. MAGIC product pipeline: Management expects continued growth from upcoming Universes Beyond releases like Spider-Man and Avatar: The Last Airbender, as well as further engagement and backlist sales. CEO Chris Cocks emphasized that upcoming collaborations and new player demographics could drive additional expansion in 2026 and beyond. Tariff and supply chain strategies: The company is accelerating supplier diversification and onshoring initiatives to reduce reliance on China and limit tariff exposure. CFO Gina Goetter noted that while current tariff expenses are manageable, rates remain fluid and may impact both costs and pricing strategies through next year. Consumer product recovery: Management anticipates a rebound in consumer product sales in the second half as retailers resume inventory purchases for the holiday season. However, they remain cautious given ongoing retailer conservatism and the potential for further shifts in order patterns. Catalysts in Upcoming Quarters Looking ahead, the StockStory team will be monitoring (1) the pace of MAGIC: THE GATHERING product launches and new player acquisition, (2) progress in reducing supply chain reliance on China and mitigating tariff costs, and (3) signs of recovery in consumer product sales as retailers rebuild inventory for the holiday season. Developments in digital gaming partnerships and the rollout of new Universes Beyond sets will also be key areas of focus. Hasbro currently trades at $76.55, down from $77.61 just before the earnings. Is the company at an inflection point that warrants a buy or sell? The answer lies in our full research report (it's free). Now Could Be The Perfect Time To Invest In These Stocks Trump's April 2024 tariff bombshell triggered a massive market selloff, but stocks have since staged an impressive recovery, leaving those who panic sold on the sidelines. Take advantage of the rebound by checking out our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Exlservice (+354% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today. StockStory is growing and hiring equity analyst and marketing roles. Are you a 0 to 1 builder passionate about the markets and AI? See the open roles here.
Express Tribune
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Magic the Gathering's Final Fantasy crossover becomes fastest-selling set with $200M in one day
Magic: The Gathering's collaboration with Final Fantasy has become the fastest-selling set in the card game's history, generating $200 million in a single day. Released on June 13 2025, the crossover was highly anticipated by Final Fantasy fans. According to Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks during the company's Q2 earnings call, the set broke Magic: The Gathering's previous records, with demand exceeding supply. 'We couldn't produce enough,' Cocks said. 'It was substantially, by many, many very high double-digit percentages, ahead of any other production run we've ever done.' For comparison, Cocks noted that Magic: The Gathering's Lord of the Rings-themed set took six months to reach the same revenue figure that the Final Fantasy crossover achieved in one day. The release also reportedly brought more new players into trading card game shops in two weeks than any previous MTG set managed over a twelve-week period. This report comes despite Final Fantasy maintaining its own official trading card game, which continues to receive new sets. The Final Fantasy collaboration follows a series of Magic: The Gathering crossover releases, including partnerships with franchises such as Fallout and Transformers. Following this record-breaking release, Magic: The Gathering will launch its next non-collaboration set, Edge of Eternities, on August 1. Later this year, additional crossovers are planned with Spider-Man in September and Avatar: The Last Airbender in November.
Gizmodo
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
‘Final Fantasy' Made Hasbro a Hell of a Lot of Gil
Hasbro's no stranger to giving credit where credit's due when a video game helps save its ass financially, having already made plenty of to-do about how the blockbuster success of Baldur's Gate 3 a few years ago provided a surge of interest in D&D. Now it's thanking a video game of a different sort: the Final Fantasy saga, as its recent highly anticipated crossover with Magic: The Gathering has helped make the most successful set of the card game made so far. According to Deadline, Hasbro CEO Chris Cox touted on an earnings call today that sales of the Final Fantasy set, released just over a month ago, helped account for a 23% surge in Magic sales in the last quarter, helping the toymaker offset a $1 billion write-down to account for ongoing tariff-induced uncertainty from retailers, leading to a flat adjusted operating profit for the quarter. 'There's more people playing Magic, and there are more people who have never played Magic who are now playing Magic, than ever before,' Cox noted. The Final Fantasy set has been a subject of controversy even with its massive success and praise for the ways Wizards of the Coast integrated references and mechanics from the legendary RPG series into the Magic format. The first of the 'Universes Beyond' crossover sets to be legal for play in Magic's standard format, before its release, Final Fantasy came to represent concerns from players that Magic was giving too much ground over to licensed crossovers instead of focusing on its original creative storytelling. The surge of interest in the set's reveal also led to a rush on pre-orders, making trying to even get your hands on cards at their suggested retail prices a challenge—especially the set's premium collector-focused booster packs, with aftermarket prices breaking over a thousand dollars at MagicCon Las Vegas for a box of cards meant to 'only' sell for $455. Now, even as player interest switches focus to the upcoming release of Edge of Eternities on August 1st, Final Fantasy packs are still tough to come by. All that controversy matters little to Hasbro's bottom line, so 'Universes Beyond' is going to be here to stay. After Edge of Eternities, the first entirely sci-fi/sci-fantasy-themed Magic set, this year will see the release of two more major crossover sets in the form of Marvel's Spider-Man in late September, and Avatar: The Last Airbender in November. And even though Edge returns to Magic's own storytelling, its mechanics seem ripe for being adapted for the arrival of some pretty hefty franchises among the stars—ones Hasbro at large is already well acquainted with. 'Coming up, we have Spider-Man, Star Wars, and Avengers: Doomsday,' Cox noted on the earnings call, referring more broadly to Hasbro's toy licenses rather than necessarily any specific plans for Magic (although we know there are indeed more Marvel sets on the way after Spider-Man). 'That alone is a pretty stacked lineup and pretty meaningful top-line growth across our Marvel portfolio.' So maybe don't be too surprised if the toymaker finds a way to oust Final Fantasy from its current throne as Magic's most popular set in the not-too-distant future. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
