Toymaker Mattel has reported a surprise jump in quarterly revenue as the launch of dolls based on Korean pop-sensation BTS lift international sales and newer models boost demand for its flagship Barbie brand.

Mattel’s gross international sales rose 10 per cent to US$721.7 million, lifted by sales of dolls based on BTS, who have dominated international music charts for more than a year.

Worldwide Barbie gross sales rose 10 per cent to US$412.8 million in the third quarter, contradicting analysts’ expected 1.2 per cent drop due to fears of a drop in demand because of the release of the Disney movie Frozen 2, the doll rights to which are owned by Hasbro.

“The story around BTS shows how we’re able to capture cultural trends and commercialise them,” Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz said.

Mattel, unlike rival Hasbro, said it was not seeing any cancellations by its retail partners ahead of a December 15 US tariff deadline on Chinese toy imports.

“At this stage, we are not seeing any impact from tariffs and we don’t expect anything this year,” Kreiz said.

Hasbro missed quarterly profit estimates earlier this month, blaming higher shipping and warehousing costs from the uncertainty around tariffs.

Mattel’s total quarterly net sales rose 3 per cent to US$1.48 billion from a year earlier, while analysts had expected a drop of 0.5 per cent.

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