Moonbug Entertainment partners with Amazon Kids+ on original new content slate

Moonbug Entertainment has teamed up with Amazon Kids+ to create, produce, and distribute a whole new portfolio of entertaining and educational children’s content, starring a cast of popular characters.

The first joint project under the partnership includes an original production of Arpo Robot Babysitter, based on the hit YouTube show Arpo. The production will premiere on Amazon Kids+ alongside a new Arpo mobile game.

“Our partnership with Amazon Kids+ expands Arpo’s world and takes children on new adventures,” said Andy Yeatman, Managing Director of the Americas at Moonbug. “Arpo’s unique format makes it accessible to kids across the globe, making them laugh as they meet new characters and sharpen their problem-solving skills.”

Veronica Pickett, head of Amazon Kids+ original series, added: “The arrival of Arpo into the Amazon Kids+ offering is a joyful example of our commitment to deliver content that kids and families will love.

“The heart and humor at the core of Arpo creates so many LOL moments that are inspiring the world of entertainment we’re building with the new original series and game.”

Arpo is an animated show based on slapstick humor for children three to seven years old. Its non-dialogue format entertains kids who speak all languages. The original production coming to Amazon Kids+ takes kids on a series of adventures as Arpo faces new challenges, between caring for Danny’s adopted Korean baby sister Cookie and adjusting to a team of new robots built by Mom.

On YouTube alone, Arpo has more than 5 million subscribers, 110 million views per month, and 1.9 billion lifetime views.

In addition to the new Amazon Kids+ relationship, Moonbug has brokered partnership deals for its programs with over 100 streaming platforms on a local and global scale, including Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV, Sky and Tencent, and has category-leading viewership on Amazon Prime Video and YouTube.

The Point. 1888 secures 12 EMEA sub-agents for Moonbug Entertainment’s preschool portfolio

Moonbug Entertainment has set a course for global expansion, having signed with 12 sub-agents across the EMEA region for a number of its popular preschool properties. The string of sub-agent partnerships was secured by the firm’s master licensing agency, The Point. 1888.

The sweep of new licensing agents is just the latest move for Moonbug Entertainment who continues to bolster its presence on the international licensing scene. The firm has already secured a number of licensee partners for its brands Blippi, CoComelon, and My Magic Pet Morphle, courtesy of The Point. 1888.

The brand extension specialist was appointed last summer as the master licensing agency across EMEA for Moonbug. Since coming on board, The Point.1888 has sought to leverage the shows’ popularity with children by bringing the brand closer to its audience across a broad range of categories, including clothing, puzzles, arts & crafts, games, outdoor to name just a few.

The Point.1888 has also now secured a wealth of sub-agents to  help it deliver its licensing plans across EMEA. These include the German brand licensing expert, The Brand Residence, in Germany, Austria and Sweden; the award winning Spanish agent, El Ocho, in Iberia; the leading agent for the Italian market, The Evolution of Licensing, and Spacetoons, one of the largest and most successful kids entertainment conglomerates in the Middle East.

Further partners include LDI in Israel LDI in Turkey and Cyprus, ELC to cover Eastern Europe, Brand4rent in Russia, CLM in South Africa, License Connection for the Benelux region, Ferly in the Nordics, and Brand Energy – headed up by Benoir Roque and Alex Ardant – will be covering France.

So far, all sub-agents are in discussion with prospective licensees in their territories and a number of agreements are now in place. Jazwares and Bandai are working with the sub agents and The Point.1888 on the master toy launch of CoComelon and Blippi across EMEA this year, following a strong 2020 launch in the UK.

Character Options is planning for the launch of its master toy range for My Magic Pet Morphle this Autumn.

Bethan Garton, commercial director at The Point.1888, said: “Every agent we’ve signed really understands the new digital world that kids live in and that properties on YouTube, Netflix, Amazon and others can have just as successful a launch at retail as those on a traditional broadcaster, if not more so.

“Our agents will all act as ambassadors of Moonbug and The Point.1888 in their region and so a retail approach is key. They will be working with and educating retailers across EMEA on the strength of digital content brands.”

Jo Galpin, international licensing manager at Moonbug, added: “The success that we’ve seen so far has been phenomenal and allows families across the globe to connect with their favourite Moonbug characters. The Point.1888 have been excellent partners and we look forward to what each sub-agent will bring to their region.”

CoComelon to air on the UK’s Cartoonito in ‘milestone’ partnership for Moonbug Entertainment

Moonbug Entertainment has secured a ‘milestone’ partnership with the UK’s popular pre-school network, Cartoonito thaat will see its hit series CoComelon air on the channel each weekday at 5pm.

From April 5, all available episodes of Moonbug’s flagship pre-school series will be accessible, delivering ‘hours of engaging entertainment’ to pre-school kids in the UK.

“This partnership is a true milestone for Moonbug. Cartoonito as a premium children-dedicated linear channel is the first in the UK to pick up the digitally-originated CoComelon,” said Nicolas Eglau, managing director EMEA and APAC, Moonbug.

“This cooperation not only widens the reach of Moonbug programming, but is also a further vote of confidence in digital content, underscoring the trust that Moonbug has built with its globally loved IPs.”

Featuring 3D animation and catchy tunes, CoComelon follows JJ and his siblings as they go on fun, relatable adventures, playing, exploring and learning along the way. CoComelon models positivity and good behavior and supports preschoolers’ learning through music, providing parents an opportunity to teach and play with their children as they watch together.

Moonbug Entertainment is an award-winning global entertainment company with a portfolio of kids’ programming that includes not only CoComelon, but Blippi, Little Baby Bum, and My Magic Pet Morphle, with content available in 27 languages.

Most recently, Moonbug tapped the UK’s Character Options as master toy partner for Morphle, bolstering a slate of recent licensing advances for the pre-school studio.

In just two years, Moonbug has become a kids’ programming powerhouse with a library of more than 550 hours of content, which is distributed on more than 100 platforms globally, including YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Joyn, Sky and Roku.

Character Options named master toy partner for Moonbug Entertainment’s Morphle

Character Options has been named the EMEA and Australian master toy partner for the popular children’s series Morphle in the latest advance for Moonbug Entertainment’s growing licensing plans.

The deal was brokered by The Point. 1888 and will see Character Options produce a range of Morphle branded play-sets, plush, vehicles, figures, bath toys, as well as dough.

This comes just a few months after The Point.1888 announcing multiple major licensee partnerships for two of Moonbug Entertainment Ltd.’s other world-famous brands, Cocomelon and Blippi.

With over 300 episodes created and broadcast via YouTube and Netflix globally, as well as other platforms, Morphle has amassed a following of over 18 million subscribers. It follows the adventures of an energetic little red creature who can morph into anything that Mila’s playful mind can imagine.

Mila’s dad runs the only magic pet store in the city – a fantastical place where you can find all sorts of cute and quirky pets who each have their own unique magic powers, and he has gifted Mila the most magic pet of all, Morphle. She shows him everything she knows about the world, and in particular how to have fun. With Morphle’s morphing powers and Mila’s boundless imagination every day is the most exciting playdate.

Jon Diver, Joint MD of The Character Group plc, said: “As the nature of the lead character, Morphle, is to morph into many different things, it gave us so much scope for toy development. As a result, we’re investing heavily in the brand and the range and are thoroughly enjoying working with Moonbug and The Point.1888.”

Bethan Garton, commercial director at The Point.1888, said: “When Character Options takes on a new brand, it fully commits to the partnership and on building the brand. We haven’t had the good fortune to work with the company before but it’s been a life-long dream of mine, having seen how they launched, developed and managed a number of successful preschool master toy programs.”

The Point.1888 was appointed last summer as Master Licensing Agency across EMEA for Moonbug Entertainment’s entire portfolio. Since coming on board, the brand extension specialist has sought to capitalise on the shows’ popularity with young children as well as the need to keep them entertained and engaged by signing licensees across a broad range of categories.

Character Options join Aykroyds TDP (Nightwear, Underwear & Swim), Poetic (Daywear), Zak (Lunchware), Character World (Bedding).

Product development and marketing plans are underway and The Point.1888 is currently in talks with retailers and distributors.  The range will launch in Q4 2021 with a full EMEA roll out in 2022.

Moonbug Entertainment secures CoComelon exclusive partnership with POPS Worldwide

Moonbug Entertainment has detailed a new tie-up with POPS Worldwide to bring its library of children’s content to the POPS Kids app. From today, the app will feature 150 episodes of CoComelon, and two new episodes will be released each month, remaining exclusive to the platform for the first six months.

Families will also have access to a number of Moonbug’s live-action and animated series, including episodes – in English and Vietnamese – of Blippi, ARPO, Gecko’s Garage, Go Buster, Little Baby Bum, Toddler Fun Learning and My Magic Pet Morphle.

“At Moonbug, we’re focused on bringing fun, enriching content to kids, and we’re proud to make Moonbug series available to more families around the world through this partnership,” said Nicolas Eglau, managing director EMEA and APAC, Moonbug.

“POPS Worldwide’s impressive reach in Southeast Asia and their commitment to friendly and safe content makes their platforms a perfect home for Moonbug shows. We are keen to further build presence and partnerships in this incredibly fast growing region.”

Esther Nguyen, CEO of POPS, said: “The cooperation between POPS and Moonbug Entertainment is yet another excellent partnership between the world’s leading kids’ edutainment players to bring global hit titles to the Vietnamese kids.

“We believe that with the synergy of our successful brands & platforms, children’s educational entertainment content from these partnerships will help bring the region’s future to new heights.”

Moonbug’s CoComelon joins Poetic Brands growing children’s and baby wear portfolio

The popular pre-school property, CoComelon is stepping into the baby and children’s wear market thanks to a new partnership between Poetic Brands and Moonbug Entertainment.

In a deal brokered by the brand’s EMEA licensing agent, The Point. 1888, Poetic Brands will develop and launch a collection spanning children’s daywear, outerwear, and swimwear, along with towels, winter accessories, and sleeping bags. The new range will focus on the bright, playful, nursery-rhyme singing characters of CoComelon.

The consumer products programme for the property recently kicked off when Jazwares launched a toy line incorporating plush, role-play, vehicles and mini-figures.         

Anne Bradford, director, Poetic Brands, said: “From day one, it’s been important to ensure that every brand that we sign has an angle that is truly unique. CoComelon has an incredible global audience and massive brand adoption, creating a huge opportunity for retailers to engage with.  

“As soon as we discussed CoComelon with The Point.1888, we knew that this was perfect for us, and it is completely new to the apparel market. This will give us the opportunity to create ranges that will provide everything a preschooler needs from their t-shirts and sweats right through to their puddle suits and jackets. With its core engagement of one to four-year-olds, this is a fabulous new opportunity for retail.”

Becky Langer, senior commercial manager, Soft Goods at The Point.1888, added: “The brand has had such incredible digital success and we wanted to make sure that our licensing programme would enable fans to get enjoyment from it even while away from the TV or iPad.

“We’re thrilled to be in a position to announce this partnership and cannot wait to see the reaction from Cocomelon’s growing audience to the new product range.”

Poetic Brands grows its pre-school portfolio with Moonbug’s My Magic Pet Morphle

Poetic Brands is continuing to expand its baby, children’s wear, and accessories division, this time through an extended partnership with Moonbug Entertainment to develop an apparel range based on the My Magic Pet Morphle brand.

The deal was brokered by The Point. 1888 who manages the rights for Moonbug’s properties across EMEA and will see the apparel specialist create a collection of accessories, children’s clothes, outerwear, and swimwear.

Morphle is Mila’s magic red pet, who can morph into anything – a sweet puppy, a giant truck, a cool dinosaur or anything that Mila’s playful mind can imagine. With over 250 episodes in its library and content in 12 languages, the show teaches preschoolers the themes of friendship, problem solving and creativity, and is available on a range of digital platforms including YouTube, Amazon, Netflix, Apple TV, and most recently, was part of a deal to be shown on Virgin Media platforms.

The consumer products programme for the imaginative and playful kids’ brand, managed by The Point.1888 has also begun with a deal with Thinkway Toys as Master Toy partner. 

Anne Bradford, director, Poetic Brands, said: “My Magic Pet Morphle offers fantastic animation based around a magic pet store, which will enable us to create some interactive and fun products. It completes a strong portfolio of properties for this area of the retail market.”

Becky Langer, senior commercial manager, soft goods at The Point.1888, added: “We are thrilled to partner with Poetic Brands on this exciting range for My Magic Pet Morphle fans. We believe that their design, manufacturing and speed to market capabilities will ensure that fantastic products come to market in 2021, quenching the pent-up consumer demand for this phenomenal growing brand.” 

Moonbug Entertainment signs Poetic Brands for Blippi apparel range

Moonbug Entertainment has signed Poetic Brands to design an apparel range based on the kids’ entertainment sensation, Blippi. The move arrives as digital entertainment brands continue to gather momentum in the licensing space.

Blippi has connected with children globally through his show Blippi, where he takes them on fun play-dates, learning through playing and doing. Blippi is available in the UK on Virgin Media, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube. 

The children’s apparel range from Poetic Brands is set to include accessories, children’s daywear, outerwear and swimwear.            

The aim of Blippi is to inspire and explore children’s curiosity with fun and educational activities. The playful character takes children on adventures in each 15-minute episode, presenting viewers with a range of subjects and facts. 

Additionally, the wider consumer products programme for Blippi, managed throughout EMEA by brand licensing specialist The Point.1888, has begun with a toy range from Jazwares, featuring talking dolls, vehicles, role-play and outdoor toys. The property also features a monthly magazine from DJ Murphy.

Anne Bradford, Director, Poetic Brands, said: “Blippi is already an established kids’ phenomenon with over 15 billion views worldwide. There is no doubt that children are more than ready for Blippi to launch an apparel line and we are looking forward to discussing opportunities across retail.” 

Becky Langer, senior commercial manager, soft goods at The Point.1888, added: “What better way for a child to express their adoration for a brand than to wear clothing emblazoned with its characters? Apparel was one of our priorities when devising Blippi’s brand licensing programme, and with Poetic Brands being an advocate of the use of sustainable fabrics, it was our first choice.”

Moonbug Entertainment signs Poetic Brands for Blippi apparel range

Moonbug Entertainment has signed Poetic Brands to design an apparel range based on the kids’ entertainment sensation, Blippi. The move arrives as digital entertainment brands continue to gather momentum in the licensing space.

Blippi has connected with children globally through his show Blippi, where he takes them on fun play-dates, learning through playing and doing. Blippi is available in the UK on Virgin Media, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube. 

The children’s apparel range from Poetic Brands is set to include accessories, children’s daywear, outerwear and swimwear.            

The aim of Blippi is to inspire and explore children’s curiosity with fun and educational activities. The playful character takes children on adventures in each 15-minute episode, presenting viewers with a range of subjects and facts. 

Additionally, the wider consumer products programme for Blippi, managed throughout EMEA by brand licensing specialist The Point.1888, has begun with a toy range from Jazwares, featuring talking dolls, vehicles, role-play and outdoor toys. The property also features a monthly magazine from DJ Murphy.

Anne Bradford, Director, Poetic Brands, said: “Blippi is already an established kids’ phenomenon with over 15 billion views worldwide. There is no doubt that children are more than ready for Blippi to launch an apparel line and we are looking forward to discussing opportunities across retail.” 

Becky Langer, senior commercial manager, soft goods at The Point.1888, added: “What better way for a child to express their adoration for a brand than to wear clothing emblazoned with its characters? Apparel was one of our priorities when devising Blippi’s brand licensing programme, and with Poetic Brands being an advocate of the use of sustainable fabrics, it was our first choice.”

The Point. 1888 and Moonbug Entertainment sign six new partners for pre-school hit Blippi

The Point. 1888 and Moonbug Entertainment Ltd have secured six new licensing partners for the popular children’s brand, Blippi. The latest raft follows the brand’s recent publishing partnership with DJ Murphy and builds on the growing demand for licensed Blippi products.

The Point. 1888 was appointed in the summer as the master licensing agency across EMEA for Blippialong with other brands in Moonbug’s portfolio, including CoComelon, My Magic Pet Morphle and ARPO.

Since coming on board, The Point.1888 has sought to capitalise on the show’s popularity with young children as well as the need to keep them entertained and engaged by signing licensees across a broad range of categories, including clothing, puzzles and games.

The new licensees secured by The Point.1888 for Blippi include Scholastic as master publisher, Poetic Brands for kids daywear, Misirli for Blippi branded socks, TDP Textiles and Aykroyds & Sons for Blippi pyjamas and swimwear, RMS International for Blippi puzzles, and Zak for Blippi branded lunch boxes.

The new line-up joins Blippi’s existing partners in Jazwares, Creative Kids, Texco, Round Room and DJ Murphy.

With over 12 billion content views worldwide, the fun and playful Blippi educates and entertains children aged two to six years old across the world, empowering them to explore their curiosity.

Bethan Garton, Commercial Director at The Point.1888, said: “The brand licensing programme for Blippi is really picking up pace, and that is in part thanks to the incredible team at Moonbug who have been so open to our ideas and share our passion in making this a success. It may look like there’s a lot going on now but trust me when I say it’s about to get even busier.”

Simon Philips, senior in-house advisor, Moonbug, added: “The Point.1888 has been an excellent partner and these new licensees are a testament to the hard work that the team has put into expanding the playful world of Blippi.”