Bose Is Buying Skullcandy. It’s Not as Weird as It Sounds
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Bose is acquiring Skullcandy to expand its reach into younger, culture-focused consumer demographics. The move follows a year-long licensing partnership where Bose provided audio engineering expertise for Skullcandy products.
Why it matters
This acquisition highlights a strategy of legacy audio brands purchasing niche, community-driven companies to diversify their market presence and consumer base.
The acquisition isn't out of left field. Bose has lent its audio expertise to Skullcandy over the past year under its Sound by Bose licensing program. Skullcandy designs the headphones and then works with Bose on the audio front. The relationship began with the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds in 2025 and more recently, with the Crusher 1080 ANC headphones in July.
When WIRED spoke with Skullcandy CEO Brian Garofalow in July about the partnership, Garofalow highlighted the 23-year-old company's ability to build community and culture, specifically around the board sports community (the first Skullcandy product was designed on a ski chairlift). But he admitted the company wasn't “the greatest at the engineering part of innovation with products.”
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