Many aggrieved children and adult children know well by now Baby Yoda (an official one, anyway) won’t be under the tree for the holidays. The earliest they’ll be available will be Easter, so the bunny will be taking that one instead.
By now, it’s been widely reported that this is because Disney didn’t want the “real” star of The Mandalorian to be spoiled by revealing the toy details. But how exactly was that decision made? And just how much money is Disney leaving on the table with the delay?
Hasbro reveals the Baby Yoda toys you’re looking for https://t.co/1oEHRABrYG pic.twitter.com/akCbrbtBNc
— io9 (@io9) December 12, 2019
The delay of Baby Yoda may be the ultimate expression of trying to control spoiler culture. Back in the day, spoilers were major revelations like Darth Vader being Luke Skywalker’s dad. (A 40-year-old movie should, in theory, be immune to spoilers.)
So, according to Screen Rant, Disney decided not to reveal Baby Yoda in time for Triple Force Friday, the event that reveals the new toys. So the argument rages: By trying to solve one problem (spoilers) did Disney create another (loss of revenue)?
The short answer is, yes, they did. Screen Rant quotes a report by Jungle Scout that Disney stands to lose about $3 million in sales due to holding back Baby Yoda.
People can debate how good it is for Disney to dominate the entertainment industry to this extent, but with upwards of $7 billion in the bank, Disney isn’t going to sweat $3 million too much.
