Tag Archives: Boat Rocker Studios

UK and US licensing partners line up to celebrate 40 years of Danger Mouse

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Boat Rocker Studios is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its classic and iconic animated series, Danger Mouse with a full roster of licensing partners spanning the UK and US markets, while crossing both the generations and categories through gifting, apparel, collectables, and more.

Tapping into the adult, nostalgia market, as well as the children’s space, licensing partners have been lined up from both sides of the Atlantic with a licensing programme reflective of the cross-generational appeal of the Danger Mouse IP as it celebrates its 40th anniversary milestone this year.

Kate Schlomann, EVP brand management and content marketing, Boat Rocker Studios, said: “Danger Mouse is the world’s greatest secret agent and one of TV’s most iconic animations, packed with action, comedy and drama. The show has achieved incredible global success in both its original incarnation and its thrilling reboot.

“We are delighted to be celebrating its 40th anniversary with an epic range of products which really capture the style and wit of the show.”

Leading the charge in the toy aisle, Funko has signed a worldwide deal to produce a new range of Danger Mouse Classic collectables, including its trademark Pop! stylised vinyl figures and its Vinyl SODA figures of the heroes and villains from the series, including a limited edition Evil Danger Mouse.

Meanwhile, Smiffys will continue to offer its dress-up costumes for both adults and kids. In addition, adult t-shirts will continue to be produced by Trademark Products Limited and further celebratory products will be available later in the year across a wide range of categories, including annuals, novelty, cards and gifting, children’s nightwear and babywear and pet apparel and accessories.

This will all be joined by a new range of adult and children’s Danger Mouse apparel and drinkware, including t-shirts, sweats, hoodies, face wear, socks, and underwear from Bioworld, alongside adult joggers, slippers, bags, and headwear.

Truffle Shuffle, home of cool t-shirts, retro gifts and more, will also be launching a new range of T-shirts and clothing, knitwear, pyjamas, tote bags, mugs, art prints, metal signs, lunchboxes, enamel pins and door mats launching from June 2021 exclusively on TruffleShuffle.com.

The River Group, the UK’s leading independent content innovation agency, will be producing an 84-page Danger Mouse Anniversary Bookazine to launch in October 2021, while Blu Goblin has signed on for a limited-edition anniversary figurine set with proceeds going towards Kids Out Charity.

Over in the US, Redbubble, the leading print-on-demand online marketplace, will be adding Danger Mouse to its extensive range of apparel, accessories and home items.

The Danger Mouse YouTube channel is joining in on the celebrations by showcasing 40 original classic episodes. Fans will have the opportunity to relive some of their hero’s most death-defying and thrilling missions from September 2021.

Both the classic and the new series are widely available to watch on multiple platforms worldwide, including Netflix which holds the global rights for the new Danger Mouse series and also offers the classic seasons.

Originally produced by Cosgrove Hall Films for Thames Television, Danger Mouse ran on ITV from 1981 to 1992 and returned to TV screens with a high-octane 21st-century makeover on CBBC in September 2015.

The rebooted Danger Mouse has proved to be a global hit with 99 new episodes to date over three series.

Boat Rocker Studios secures two UK partners for The Next Step in Cooneen and Kennedy Publishing

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Boat Rocker Studios has detailed a UK licensing deal duo for its hit tween dance drama, The Next Step, partnering with Cooneen and Kennedy Publishing for clothing ranges and a magazine.

The garment designer, manufacturer, and supplier, Cooneen, has signed up for a new collection of apparel for audiences aged five to 16, with The Next step branded items across children and teen nightwear, loungewear including daywear, activewear, underwear, swimwear, and Snugz face coverings.

The range will be available from September 2021.

Meanwhile, Kennedy Publishing, a leading publisher in the children’s magazine sector, will launch a special one-off issue no.28 of ‘Totally Magazine – TNS Edition’ to launch on September 2nd 2021. It will carry insider info, cast news, interviews and fact/dance tips that fans of the show could wish for.

“The Next Step continues to have huge appeal and we’re delighted to be working with these best-in-class partners to offer fans even more choice with these fabulous new apparel collections from the award-winning team at Cooneen,” said Kate Schlomann, EVP brand management and content marketing, Boat Rocker Studios.

“Kennedy Publishing’s new magazine will be an essential read for all fans of the show, connecting them even more closely to the lives and journeys of the dancers of A-Troupe.”

Boat Rocker Studios is in production on some brand new at-home promotional content for CBBC. Specifically, a digital documentary that seeks to explore the experience of the black dancers of The Next Step, “Elevating Black Dancers” as well as three scripted promotional digital pieces that delve deeper into the drama of season season.

The Next Step, produced by Boat Rocker Studios, is an international hit, broadcast in more than 120 countries worldwide. It follows the trials, tribulations and triumphs of A-Troupe, a group of dancers at the Next Step dance studio. Now in its seventh series, the show has consistently been one of the most requested CBBC shows on iPlayer over the past five years, notching up more than six-million requests this year alone.

Boat Rocker Studios taps Haven for Dino Ranch licensing programme in Australia and New Zealand

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Boat Rocker Studios is strengthening the licensing presence for its popular animated pre-school series, Dino Ranch across Australia and New Zealand, with the appointment of the leading Australian agency, Haven.

The award-winning licensing agency will be actively seeking partners across a wide range of categories for the new series, drawing on its more than 25 years’ experience of delivering brand extension programmes for high profile properties.

Haven’s appointment has been made to coincide with the launch of the 3D animated Dino Ranch series on Disney+ in Australia this month, following its successful premiere on Disney Junior and DisneyNOW in the US in January. The show currently ranks as the number one US cable series among children aged two to five, while the official Dino Ranch YouTube channel has reached 5.14 million views and 2.8 million unique viewers within just nine weeks of launch.

Tom Punch, founder and managing director, Haven said: “We’re delighted to be working with Boat Rocker on this dynamic new series. It’s so fresh, diverse and relatable – there’s nothing else quite like it and we know that audiences across Australia and New Zealand are going to be as excited as we are with Dino Ranch.”

Dino Ranch, created by Matt Fernandes of Industrial Brothers and produced by Industrial Brothers and Boat Rocker Studios, is full of dino-driven fun and allows young viewers at home to discover the thrill of ranch life while navigating the great outdoors. It also introduces preschoolers to problem solving, the foundations of forging life-long friendships, strengthening family and community bonds.

Kate Schlomann, EVP brand management and content marketing, Boat Rocker Media, said: “We’re very pleased to announce that Haven are saddling up for Dino Ranch licensing in Australia and New Zealand. Their vast knowledge and experience of these key territories, coupled with the immense appeal of our unique and thrilling new show, should soon round up a whole herd of great new licensees across multiple categories.”

Disney+ saddles up with Boat Rocker Studios’ pre-school hit Dino Ranch

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Disney+ UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand have each saddled up for Boat Rocker Studios’ popular animated comedy, Dino Ranch, following the series successful debut on Disney Junior and DisneyNow throughout January.

The series is set to launch on the Disney+ streaming platform from April 2021.

Dino Ranch proved an immediate hit on Disney Junior US, ranking as the number one US cable series among Kids, Boys and Girls aged two to five since launch. Among Disney Junior repeats, Dino Ranch also ranks number with Kids, Boys and Girls two to five.

Also available on DisneyNOW and VOD, Dino Ranch has been the number three Disney Junior long-form series for three consecutive weeks. Two episodes have been posted on Disney Junior’s YouTube channel (“Big Jon, Big Trouble” and “Spookasaurus”) and have amassed over 1.5 million views collectively. In the six weeks since the launch of the official Dino Ranch YouTube channel it has accumulated over 3 million views.

Created by Matt Fernandes of Industrial Brothers and produced by Industrial Brothers and Boat Rocker Studios, Dino Ranch follows the action-packed exploits of the Cassidy family, ranchers with a difference – their charges are dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes who are also their best friends.

The new Disney+ deals follow recent global sales of Dino Ranch to Super RTL/Toggo Plus (Germany), Gulli plus TiJi and Gulli Africa (France), NRK (Norway), YLE (Finland) and DR (Denmark).

Boat Rocker Studios is managing global content distribution and global merchandising rights to the series.

Boat Rocker Studios secures raft of global broadcasters for Dino Ranch

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Boat Rocker Studios has secured a raft of global sales for the animated pre-school series, Dino Ranch following its successful premier on Disney Junior in the US and CBC in Canada at the start of the year.

Later this year, the animated show will land on Disney Latin America, SRC in Canada, and major broadcasters across Europe.

“Dino Ranch has a unique ability to resonate with audiences through engaging storytelling and first-class animation,” said Jon Rutherford, president, Boat Rocker Studios, Kids & Family and Rights. “We’re thrilled that the show will be available to viewers in more markets around the world, so they can saddle up and ride along with the Cassidy family.”

In Germany, Dino Ranch has been acquired by leading free-to-air channel SUPER RTL, and it will also air on their time-shift kids’ channel TOGGO Plus.

Leading free-to-air kids’ channel Gulli has acquired the series in France, where it will also be available on their Pay TV channels TiJi and Gulli Africa, with plans to additionally air it during the morning kids’ programming on general channel M6.

In Scandinavia, Dino Ranch has been acquired by national public service broadcasters NRK (Norway) and YLE (Finland), and DR (Denmark).

Dino Ranch is a 52 x 11’ 3D animation created by Matt Fernandes of Industrial Brothers and produced by Industrial Brothers and Boat Rocker Studios. It follows the action-packed adventures of the Cassidy family as they tackle life in a fantastical, “pre-westoric” setting where dinosaurs still roam. As the young ranchers learn the ropes, they discover the thrill of ranch life whilst navigating the great outdoors through unpredictable challenges.

Boat Rocker Studios is managing the global content distribution and consumer products program for the franchise.

Boat Rocker Studios appoints Denise Gomez to new director of licensing for the Americas role

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The award-winning Boat Rocker Studios has appointed Denise Gomez to the role of director of licensing for the Americas. In the newly created role, Gomez will support and further drive Boat Rocker’s recent expansion in building global franchises.

Gomez will be based at the company’s New York offices where she will report to Kate Schlomann, executive vice president of brand management and content marketing.

Gomez joins Boat Rocker from WarnerMedia, where she spent 14 years in a variety of roles for Cartoon Network Enterprises – most recently as senior director of licensing, responsible for the acquisition and management of licensing partnerships, maximising growth across categories, and extending retail penetration for multiple global brands including Powerpuff Girls, Ben 10 and Rick and Morty.

Prior to Cartoon Network, she was with Nickelodeon Consumer Products where she launched the consumer electronics category, followed by a move into retail development, building and executing channel strategies for award-winning global brands including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer and Blue’s Clues.

In her new role at Boat Rocker Studios, Gomez will manage licensing and promotions across all genres at Boat Rocker Studios, with heavy focus on the Kids and Family portfolio, covering the US, Canada and Latin America, as well as involvement in global deals.

January will see the launch of the “pre-westoric” animation series Dino Ranch on Disney Junior and CBC. Other current hot properties for Gomez’s immediate attention include Kingdom Force, produced in association with CBC Kids and Radio-Canada, which airs on Cartoon Network in Europe, Asia and Nat Geo in Lat Am; Remy and Boo on Universal Kids and CBC; and Love Monster on CBeebies, HBO Max and CBC.

Kate Schlomann, EVP of brand management and content marketing, Boat Rocker Studios, said: “We are delighted to welcome Denise to the Boat Rocker family. She is a highly respected and innovative senior licensing executive with expertise driving monetisation of intellectual property across all categories, and retail channels for top entertainment brands.

“Her wealth of experience will be a huge asset and complements our team as we rapidly grow our licensing business in 2021 and beyond.”

Gomez said: “I’m thrilled to join Boat Rocker at such a dynamic time for the company. It has a fantastically robust portfolio and I can’t wait to get stuck in and help to build on its recent success. I’m already saddled up for the launch of Dino Ranch and I’m really excited about exploring new licensing opportunities for that and for our many other amazing shows.”

HBO Max picks up US rights to pre-school adventure Love Monster

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HBO Max has picked up the US rights to the new pre-school adventure Love Monster, from Boat Rocker Studios’, a division of global media company Boat Rocker Media.

A hit since it premiered on CBeebies in the UK in late January, the animated series is based on the award-winning preschool books of the same name by Rachel Bright.

Love Monster follows the exploits of one-of-a-kind, huggable hero Love Monster as he navigates the challenges involved in being a bit funny looking in a world of cute fluffy things. Every day provides Love Monster the opportunity to embark on all kinds of big adventures with his friends in Fluffytown, where, together, they learn all kinds of little life lessons.

Full of heart and helping preschoolers understand and manage different emotions, Love Monster showcases the importance of kindness, empathy, connection and instinct.

In addition to HBO Max, multiple other international broadcast partners have come on board since launch, including ABC Australia, CBC Canada, RTE Ireland, YLE Finland, TVNZ New Zealand, MBC Middle East, Canal Panda Spain and Viu TV Hong Kong.

Love Monster is a ground-breaking collaboration between BBC Children’s In-House Productions, Boat Rocker Studios, and Chinese entertainment company, UYoung.  Boat Rocker Studios is managing the global content distribution and consumer products program for the franchise.

Boat Rocker Studios’ Love Monster makes strides across Australia and New Zealand with WP Brands

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The popular pre-school series, Love Monster is making strides across Australia and New Zealand thanks to the appointment of the brand marketing and licensing agency, WP Brands.

Love Monster first aired in Australia on ABC in January this year and will soon launch on TVNZ in New Zealand, while a new toy line from Golden Bear – which includes plush, plastic, and role play items, will be distributed in the territory by Jansor from spring next year.

Boat Rocker Studios – the series international rights holder – has now tapped the Melbourne-based WP Brands to head up the property’s licensing programme across Australia and New Zealand. With over 25 years’ experience, WP Brands is an expert in the field, partnering with and managing some of the world’s largest consumer product brand and licenses.

“Love Monster is a fun and exciting brand that holds many opportunities in the Australian / New Zealand markets. The series reminds its viewers of the importance of being kind, respectful and empathetic towards our peers, something that is important in today’s society. We are delighted to be working with Boat Rocker on the show and look forward to a successful relationship,” said managing director, WP Brands, Lim Mi-Kyoung.

Love Monster, a quirky, 2D animated pre-school series which shares life learnings from a unique monster with a huge heart, is based on the bestselling pre-school books by Rachel Bright, published by HarperCollins Children’s Books.

The show sees a collaboration between BBC Children’s In-House Productions, Boat Rocker Studios and Chinese production company UYoung. A lovable hairy hero, Love Monster, searches for the right thing to do in a world in which he is one of a kind. Full of heart and helping pre-schoolers understand different emotions, Love Monster showcases the importance of kindness, empathy, connection and instinct.

“With more than 25 years’ experience WP Brands were the ideal choice to represent our beloved Love Monster. The series is already proving a big hit in the UK and we are sure our Australian and New Zealand friends will take it to their hearts too,” said Kate Schlomann, executive vice president of brand management and content marketing, Boat Rocker Studios.

“We look forward to working with WP to maximise its franchise success.”

Boat Rocker Studios is managing the global content distribution and consumer products program for the franchise, excluding China and South East Asia which is managed by UYoung.

Boat Rocker Studios secures raft of global TV partners for Love Monster

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Boat Rocker Studios, a division of global media company Boat Rocker Media, has secured a raft of TV sales for its quirky new pre-school series, Love Monster. The new slate follows the series successful launch on CBeebies in late January this year.

Love Monster has achieved over six million views on iPlayer to date, and has now secured a suite of international broadcast partners, including ABC Australia, CBC Gem Canada, RTE Ireland, YLE Finland, and TVNZ New Zealand. These partners are joined by MBC, the largest private media company in the Middle East, and the Iberian kids’ subscription channel Canal Panda for Spain as well as the free-to-air channel Viu TV in Hong Kong.

The international roll out started with ABC Australia in June 2020.

Love Monster is a 2D animated series that follows the adventures of the one-of-a-kind, huggable hero Love Monster and his friends in Fluffytown. Full of heart and helping pre-schoolers understand different emotions, Love Monster showcases the importance of kindness, empathy, connection and instinct.

The series is based on the bestselling pre-school books by Rachel Bright, published by HarperCollins Children’s Books.  The production is a ground-breaking collaboration between BBC Children’s In-House Productions, Boat Rocker Studios and the Chinese kids’ entertainment company UYoung.

Love Monster is executive produced by Tony Reed for the BBC, Chapman Maddox for Boat Rocker and James Chen Gu for UYoung. The UK share of the animation for the series is produced by Karrot Animation and A Productions, whilst a proportion of pre-production on scripts, storyboards and design is provided by UYoung’s studio in China.

Boat Rocker Studios is managing the global content distribution and consumer products program for the franchise, excluding China and South East Asia which is managed by UYoung.

Boat Rocker Studios signs raft of leading UK licensees for pre-school hit Love Monster

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Boat Rocker Studios has detailed a raft of new licensees for its popular new pre-school series, Love Monster spanning nightwear, bedding, daywear, and dress-up and accessories.

Love Monster launched on CBeebies in January this year and already it has proved a hit among young audiences. Support for the series has now been highlighted through the signing of some of the licensing industry’s leading names across apparel, home textiles, and dress-up products.

Cooneen has signed for nightwear and underwear, Dreamtex for bedding and home textiles, Blues for daywear and swimwear, and Amscan International for dress up clothing and accessories. This A list roster of renowned partners are launching Love Monster ranges from autumn/winter 2020 and spring/summer 2021.

Kate Schlomann, executive vice president of brand management and content marketing, Boat Rocker Studios, said: “Children have taken Love Monster and his menagerie of cute furry friends to their hearts, and soon they will be able to get even closer to their Fluffytown heroes, with these delightful new ranges.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with these best-in-class companies to build Love Monster into a strong brand franchise.”

Love Monster, a quirky, 2D animated 54 x 7’ pre-school series which shares little life learnings from a unique monster with a huge heart, is based on the bestselling pre-school books by Rachel Bright, published by HarperCollins Children’s Books. The show is the result of a collaboration between BBC Children’s In-House Productions, Boat Rocker Studios and the Chinese production company UYoung.

Within the series, Love Monster searches for the right thing to do in a world in which he is one of a kind. Full of heart and helping pre-schoolers understand different emotions, Love Monster showcases the importance of kindness, empathy, connection and instinct. It currently airs weekdays in the UK on CBeebies and has reached over 4 million iPlayer requests since launch in January.

Boat Rocker Studios is managing the global content distribution and consumer products program for the franchise, excluding China and South East Asia which is managed by UYoung.