Why a Massachusetts company will now make the Nerf Sports line for Pawtucket's Hasbro

PAWTUCKET – Hasbro, the famed toy maker that's restyling itself as an entertainment company, is transitioning away from making the Nerf line of sports toys. Instead, development, manufacturing and distribution of Nerf Sports will be in the hands of Franklin Sports, of Stoughton, Massachusetts, under license from Hasbro.

Franklin Sports has been involved with Hasbro since 2019 and has manufactured several items in the in the Nerf line, known for its iconic foam football. In 2024, the Stoughton company will take over the entire Nerf sports line, which basically includes every Nerf product except Nerf Blaster guns, which shoot foam darts and which will remain under Hasbro's umbrella.

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What the new licensing agreement means

Under the licensing agreement, Nerf products will still bear Hasbro's logos and be considered Hasbro toys.

Franklin Sports president Adam Franklin said that his company's involvement in Nerf products has been gradually growing over the last several years. After the transition is complete, the company will look to introduce products in new colors and textures.

Nerf sports products include footballs, basketballs, soccer balls and sets for hockey, tennis, golf and archery.

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What is Franklin Sports?

Franklin, a 76-year-old company, is well known for making a variety of sporting goods, including as the official provider of batting gloves for Major League Baseball. It distributes products to a range of retailers, from mom-and-pop shops to Target and Walmart.

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“Franklin has proven to deliver successful ranges of Nerf Sports products, and we are excited to deepen our collaboration through a long-term strategic partnership to create even more quality products," Hasbro Vice President Jess Richardson said in a news release. "We think this deal will further help us unlock Nerf's full potential in the sports category for fans across the globe, and we can’t wait to unveil what’s to come with the exciting new line of products.”

With the new agreement, Franklin is taking over the Vortex, Pro Grip and Weather Blitz Nerf footballs, as well as the Nerfoop basketball.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Nerf Sports to be made by Massachusetts firm instead of Hasbro