# 346. Why Mattel Wants Studios to Pitch the Uncomfortable

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/deconstructor-of-fun-223878/346-why-mattel-wants-studios-to-pitch-the-uncomfortable
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/deconstructor-of-fun-223878/346-why-mattel-wants-studios-to-pitch-the-uncomfortable.md
Podcast: [Deconstructor of Fun](https://stenobird.com/podcast/deconstructor-of-fun-223878)
Published: 2026-08-31T12:27:23+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/episodes/346--Why-Mattel-Wants-Studios-to-Pitch-the-Uncomfortable-e3o4k8p
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/500026c/podcast/play/124980953/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-7-31%2F430881440-44100-2-f34b88550a59c.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/deconstructor-of-fun-223878/episodes/346-why-mattel-wants-studios-to-pitch-the-uncomfortable
Duration seconds: 2418

## Resource

Mattel owns Barbie, Hot Wheels, UNO, Masters of the Universe and Street Sharks. Marcus Liassides runs its digital business, which now Roblox, Fortnite, and a licensing program that puts Mattel IP in creators' hands without approving what they build with it. This episode is about how a studio actually gets an IP deal with Mattel, and what you get beyond the logo.00:00 - Why Mattel is at a games summit01:13 - The Roblox bet04:18 - Why studios stay skeptical06:22 - AI and why IP matters more10:46 - What Mattel actually wants pitched13:57 - Where pitches go wrong17:40 - Beyond the license19:15 - MGs, rev share and dev funding23:57 - The approvals question26:44 - Barbie's UA guardrails29:29 - Exclusivity

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## Transcript

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