PlaySide Studios (ASX:PLY) acquires Dumb Ways to Die franchise for $2.25m

• PlaySide Studios (PLY) is acquiring the Dumb Ways to Die (DWTD) franchise from Metro Trains Melbourne for $2.25 million
• PlaySide will acquire all DWTD assets including copyright, trademarks, software, merchandise, social media accounts and domain names
• The Dumb Ways to Die campaign launched on YouTube in 2012 to promote rail safety and consists of offbeat humour and a catchy tune
• PlaySide plans to expand the DWTD portfolio and believes there is a strong opportunity across the rail, infrastructure, medical and public health sectors
• PlaySide is up 2.60 per cent on the market with shares trading at 39.5 cents at 12:27 pm AEST

PlaySide Studios (PLY) has acquired the Dumb Ways to Die (DWTD) franchise from Metro Trains Melbourne for $2.25 million.

PlaySide will acquire all DWTD assets including copyright, trademarks, software, merchandise, social media accounts and domain names.

Metro Trains operates the Melbourne metropolitan rail network which includes a train fleet of more than 200 six-carriage trains on a network consisting of 16 lines, more than 200 stations and more than 800 kilometres of track.

The Dumb Ways to Die campaign was launched on YouTube in 2012 to promote rail safety and consists of offbeat humour, a catchy tune and a collection of animated characters.

Within 24 hours of its launch, the DWTD song reached the top 10 chart on iTunes.

Following this, 11 DWTD mobile games and educational apps while the YouTube channel has had over 420 million views and over seven billion game sessions played.

The acquisition price of $2.25 million represents 1.5 times DWTD’s FY21 revenue and will be funded via PlaySide’s existing cash reserves.

PlaySide plans to expand the DWTD portfolio of games and believes there was a strong global opportunity across the rail, infrastructure, medical and public health sectors.

PlaySide CEO Gerry Sakkas said he was very pleased with the acquisition.

“This is a strategic mobile franchise acquisition for PlaySide. Dumb Ways to Die is one of the largest Australian made gaming brands with a truly global organic reach,” Mr Sakkas commented.

“We are excited to welcome hundreds of millions of players worldwide to our portfolio and we look forward to growing the brand in years to come.

“We have been working with Metro Trains for several years and we have always valued the brand as one of the most prestigious we have worked on and to now acquire it represents another important milestone for PlaySide.”

PlaySide was up 2.60 per cent on the market with shares trading at 39.5 cents at 12:27 pm AEST.