LEGO and LEGOLAND Discovery Centres (from Merlin Entertainments)
2026
Why
Bought 29 indoor attractions in nine countries, with about five million visitors a year, completed 27 February 2026.
The LEGO Group
ToysFounded 1932- HQ today: Billund, Denmark
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026
Acquisitions
LEGO Acquisitions
4
Major Deals Covered
What are LEGO's biggest acquisitions?
This page covers 4 major deals from 2019 to 2026, each with its price where disclosed and the reason behind it.
- Major deals covered
- 4
- First deal
- 2019
- Most recent
- 2026
| Company | Year | Price | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| BrickLink | 2019 | Undisclosed | LEGO acquired BrickLink, the largest online marketplace for LEGO parts and sets, to get closer to adult fans and the secondary market. |
| LEGO and LEGOLAND Discovery Centres (from Merlin Entertainments) | 2026 | Undisclosed | Bought 29 indoor attractions in nine countries, with about five million visitors a year, completed 27 February 2026. |
| Offroad Games | 2026 | Undisclosed | Mobile game developer to bolster digital play division. |
| LEGO Discovery Centres (29 locations from Merlin Entertainments) | 2026 | Undisclosed | Integrate city-based attractions directly into global retail and experience network. |
- What companies has LEGO bought?
- Major acquisitions by LEGO documented here include LEGO and LEGOLAND Discovery Centres (from Merlin Entertainments) (2026), Offroad Games (2026), LEGO Discovery Centres (29 locations from Merlin Entertainments) (2026) and BrickLink (2019).
- What is LEGO's most recent acquisition?
- The most recent LEGO acquisition documented here is LEGO and LEGOLAND Discovery Centres (from Merlin Entertainments), in 2026.
Offroad Games
2026
Why
Mobile game developer to bolster digital play division.
LEGO Discovery Centres (29 locations from Merlin Entertainments)
2026
Why
Integrate city-based attractions directly into global retail and experience network.
BrickLink
2019
Why
LEGO acquired BrickLink, the largest online marketplace for LEGO parts and sets, to get closer to adult fans and the secondary market.
Impact
It gave LEGO a direct line to adult collectors and data on demand for parts and retired sets.
Outcome
BrickLink still runs as a marketplace and hosts fan-designer programs.
The LEGO Group's Growth & Acquisition Strategy
LEGO's growth plan rests on three things. First, a broad portfolio: over 860 products in 2025, about half new, with recent hits such as Formula 1, Pokémon, World Cup, and KPop Demon Hunters sets. Second, more direct contact with fans: over 1,100 LEGO Stores worldwide and the 2026 purchase of 29 Discovery Centres. Third, production close to its biggest markets: the Vietnam factory, the Virginia factory opening in 2027, and the expanded Mexico site. In digital play, LEGO works with Epic Games on LEGO Fortnite (launched December 2023). The equity investment in Epic in 2022 was made by owner KIRKBI alongside Sony, not by the LEGO Group.
How The LEGO Group Makes Money
LEGO makes money mainly by designing, manufacturing, and selling boxed building sets. Most revenue comes from wholesale sales to retailers such as Walmart, Target, and Amazon, with a growing share from LEGO-owned brand stores and LEGO.com. The portfolio mixes owned themes (City, Technic, Icons, Friends, Ninjago, Duplo, Botanicals) with licensed themes from partners such as Lucasfilm, Warner Bros., Nintendo, Formula 1, and The Pokémon Company, for which LEGO pays royalties. Because every brick is compatible with every other brick, each new set adds to a customer's existing collection, which supports repeat purchases across children and adult fans. LEGO also earns smaller amounts from LEGO Education, video game and media licensing, and, since February 2026, the 29 LEGO and LEGOLAND Discovery Centres it bought from Merlin Entertainments.
LEGO Acquisitions FAQ
What was The LEGO Group's landmark acquisition of BrickLink in 2019?
In November 2019, The LEGO Group acquired BrickLink, the world's largest online secondary marketplace and digital fan community for genuine LEGO parts, sets, and Studio 3D building software (founded in 2000 by Dan Jezek), deepening ties with the adult fan community.
Why did LEGO sell control of its LEGOLAND parks in 2005?
During its 2004-2005 restructuring, LEGO sold a 70% stake in the LEGOLAND parks to Blackstone, which merged them into Merlin Entertainments. The sale raised cash and let management focus on the core brick.
How did parent company KIRKBI reacquire control of Merlin Entertainments in 2019?
In 2019, LEGO's parent holding company KIRKBI partnered with private equity firms Blackstone and CPPIB in a $7.5 billion take-private acquisition of Merlin Entertainments, bringing ownership of LEGOLAND theme parks back under the family umbrella.
What is LEGO's relationship with Epic Games?
In 2022 KIRKBI, LEGO's owner, invested in Epic Games alongside Sony, and LEGO and Epic agreed to build a digital play space for children. That work led to LEGO Fortnite in December 2023. LEGO also has a long-running game partnership with TT Games.
What intellectual property rights did The LEGO Group acquire from British toy inventor Hilary Fisher Page?
In the late 1940s and 1950s, The LEGO Group adapted and refined the patented 'Kiddicraft Self-Locking Building Bricks' designed by British inventor Hilary Fisher Page, eventually buying out all residual patent and copyright rights in 1981.
What did LEGO buy from Merlin Entertainments in 2026?
On 27 February 2026, LEGO completed its purchase of 29 LEGO and LEGOLAND Discovery Centres in nine countries from Merlin for about $264M (£0.2bn). The centres draw about five million visitors a year. Merlin still runs the LEGOLAND theme parks.
Does The LEGO Group acquire other physical toy brands?
The LEGO Group operates an organic single-brand strategy, strictly avoiding the acquisition of competing toy manufacturers (such as doll or action figure makers) to preserve the purity of the LEGO interlocking construction brick system.
What strategic industrial land acquisitions has The LEGO Group executed recently?
LEGO built its own factory in Binh Duong, Vietnam (about US$1 billion), which opened in 2025. It is building one in Chesterfield County, Virginia, as part of an over US$1.5 billion investment due in 2027.
What companies has LEGO acquired?
The LEGO Group rarely acquires other toy companies; they rely entirely on massive internal brand power. However, KIRKBI (the massive private holding and investment company owned by the founding Christiansen family) executes massive deals. In 2022, KIRKBI acquired Brainpop, a massive digital educational platform, heavily signaling the family's intense shift toward dominating digital learning for children.
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