On July 5, 2025, Monster Jam driver Tristan England climbed into the cockpit of his 12,000-pound, 1,500-horsepower, methanol-fueled JCB DIGatron with one mission: take down a towering, 40-foot Smashbot planted at the center of Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. The stunt, which opened the second night of Monster Jam World Finals XXIV, delivered peak toyetic action — a real-world manifestation of one of last year’s hottest holiday hits, Spin Master’s Smash & Bash Smashbot Playset.
“Being a Monster Jam fan my entire life, to be a part of that stunt is something I can’t really wrap my head around,” England tells The Toy Book. “The feel of that, and how cool it is to touch so many lives with something we did at work that lasted five seconds, I can’t believe what we’ve done with these trucks and technology over the years.”
When he’s not rocking arenas, the Texas native is at home with his family, playing with his son, Crash. “Taking down the Smashbot was super cool, and now I get to do it every day with my kid in the living room,” England shares.
Pulling off a real-world stunt of this scale requires science, precision, and horsepower, but fueling innovation starts with collaboration.
“[Monster Jam owner] Feld Motor Sports lets our toys influence their live events and activities on the track, and the track, in turn, influences our toy design,” says Doug Wadleigh, President of Toys at Spin Master. “This sentiment is best reflected in our Smashbot playset and development of the Sparkle Smash Monster Jam truck, which began as a toy design idea and ended up in the arena as a real truck.”
MONSTER GROWTH
Founded in 1992, with its first sanctioned events launched by the United States Hot Rod Association in 1995, Monster Jam has evolved rapidly — particularly following its 2008 acquisition by Feld Entertainment. What began with humble roots has grown into an international lifestyle brand.
“It seems like a brand that’s in its infancy,” says Jeff Bialosky, Senior Vice President, Global Partnerships at Feld Entertainment. “It’s found a relatively new audience to embrace it, especially over the last 10 years. Monster Jam has evolved into a family-friendly experience that is authentic and inclusive for everyone. It’s one of the few sports where fans can get close to the trucks and meet the drivers without paying thousands of dollars. And it’s built on a core play pattern.”
That play pattern has fueled explosive momentum, driving 800% growth over the past eight years. Annual global retail sales have reached $800 million and are on track to hit $1 billion. Live events, streaming content, and social media form a self-reinforcing flywheel, expanding Monster Jam fandom beyond toys into video games, mobile, apparel, health and beauty, and more.
Publishing is accelerating alongside the brand’s broader expansion. In the past 18 months, the Monster Jam publishing program has grown from two titles to 55. Scholastic, which previously sold Monster Jam titles exclusively through its school book fairs, expects to ship more than one million books in 2026.
WORLDWIDE FANDOM
Monster Jam’s first international event took place in 2002, and new cities welcome the sport each year. “It’s Americana, and certain countries embrace that,” Bialosky says. “These are big trucks, and we have two fleets that we send overseas.”
Beyond the Americas, Monster Jam has gained traction in Germany, the U.K., South Africa, Australia, and Singapore. After a stop in Abu Dhabi in December, the trucks are set to roll into the Netherlands and Finland this spring, with events in Mexico and Costa Rica on the horizon.
As new fans (and trucks) enter the mix, speed to market is top of mind for licensees focused on keeping the brand fresh. Spin Master introduces new trucks into its die-cast assortments every other month.
“We want fans to look and find new products at our retailers and be surprised by what’s new on shelf,” Wadleigh says. “Spin Master has invested in state-of-the-art automated manufacturing that allows us to flex in new vehicles quickly. We can design new vehicles and bring them to retail in as little as 3-4 months.”
POWERFUL PARTNERSHIPS
Feld continues to ink new deals to expand the now cross-generational brand, with Monster Jam poised to make the leap from arenas to theaters. A live-action film set within the Monster Jam universe is in development with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Seven Bucks Productions, and Walt Disney Studios.
Looking ahead, 2026 is shaping up to be a banner year with new products, experiences, and continued momentum. And how does Spin Master plan to top Smashbot? Wadleigh promises “More speed, more destruction, and more ways to play Monster Jam than ever” this year.
Stay on the Pulse of Play!
A version of this feature first appeared in the 2026 International Issue of The Toy Book. Read the full issue here!
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