Tag Archives: preschool animation

BBC Studios expands Bluey global licensing programme

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Bluey, the Emmy Award-winning sensation that has been winning over preschoolers and families worldwide, is expanding its licensing programme with new partners. The new agreements include:

  • Ten new partners and renewal US & Canada licensing deals
  • New Latin America licensing agents appointed for Brazil, South and Central America
  • Five new UK licensing deals announced
  • Licensing agents appointed for Israel as 13 new EMEA licensing deals unveiled, including Ravensburger (France, Italy and Nordics) and a pan-European deal with HTI Toys (inc. UK)

These licensing agreements follow closely on the heels of the announcement of BBC Studios’ new global partnership with Hasbro for co-branded Monopoly Jr. and Trouble games along with Play-Doh. VTech has also announced details of its Bluey products which are set to go on sale this year in the US, Canada, Australia and the UK, with New Zealand and France to follow.

Widely lauded by parents and press alike for its heartfelt and funny portrayal of family life and celebration of play, the series follows Bluey, a 6-year-old Blue Heeler dog, who loves to play and turns everyday family life into extraordinary adventures that unfold in unpredictable and hilarious ways, bringing her family – including younger sister Bingo and parents Bandit and Chilli – as well as friends and community into her world of fun and discovery.

Season three of Bluey debuted on ABC TV in Australia in November 2021 and is set to be released globally on Disney platforms later this year.

U.S. and Canada

BBC Studios has shared new details on deals with Ball Bounce & Sport inc. dba Hedstrom, Berkshire Fashions, Centric Beauty, Daytime Enterprises, Disguise, Fathead, Heys International, Horizon Group, Mad Engine and Party City Holdings inc. for a range of new products spanning multiple key categories. From apparel and arts and crafts to party supplies, and more, the Bluey introductions will begin rolling out to major retailers across the US and Canada this spring.

Suzy Raia, SVP Consumer Products and Business Development, BBC Studios Americas, says: “Love for Bluey continues to soar all across the globe, and we’re excited to be teaming up with each of these category-leading companies to provide many new ways for preschoolers and their families to experience the fun and imaginative adventures that make the series such a standout.

“Consumer demand for Bluey products is very strong and we look forward to working with these partners to develop offerings that will enhance fans’ connection to the brand every day.”

New Bluey partners to introduce product this year include:

  • Ball, Bounce & Sport inc. dba Hedstrom – playballs, hoppers, sport ball, over the door hoop and bowling sets (US)
  • Berkshire Fashions – headwear, cold weather and rain accessories etc. (US)
  • Centric Beauty – bath and cosmetics (US)
  • Daytime Enterprises ­– costume character appearances to be led by Nelvana (Canada)
  • Disguise – new costumes and accessories following multi-year renewal agreement (US)
  • Fathead – wall graphics, standees, peel & stick wallpaper and decals etc. (US)
  • Heys International – bags & luggage, backpacks and lunch bags etc. (Canada)
  • Horizon Group – arts & crafts (US)
  • Mad Engine – apparel and accessories (US); apparel, sleepwear, underwear, hosiery and winter accessories, via Nelvana (Canada)
  • Party City Holdings inc. – party goods, balloons, Halloween costumes and accessories (US & Canada – via Nelvana in Canada)

In the US, Bluey has been a runaway hit since its 2019 debut. The standout series was Disney Junior’s #1 ratings driver with kids 2-5 in 2021. It also ranked as the #1 most-watched TV series in 2Q21 and a top 3 show every quarter in 2021. In addition, Bluey owned two of the top 10 cable telecasts of 2021 with kids 2-5.

In Canada, Bluey continues to rank #1 on Disney Junior with children 2-11 and kids 2-5 on La Chaine’s Disney Junior (Canadian French language channel). Bluey was also the #2 programme with children 2-5 on Disney Junior and kids 2-5 on Disney Channel’s Junior block.

Latin America

To further extend the footprint of the global hit through the region, BBC Studios appointed as its licensing agents Panaderia for Mexico, Lotus Global for Brazil and Tycoon for South and Central America (excluding Mexico and Brazil).

In Mexico, the Bluey licensing programme keeps expanding into other categories following Bandai’s very successful toy launch last year. Starting this June and extending into the autumn, new licensed assortments ranging from party goods to apparel and publishing will launch in Mexico, with the following partners: Granmark, Ruz, Stor, Union Kids, Novelty Corp and Penguin Random House.

The Bluey toys produced by global master toy licensee Moose Toys are distributed locally by Candide in Brazil and are expected to launch in Q3 2022. Apparel, accessories, publishing and party items will follow to market in time for Christmas. Later this year, even more fun and engaging Bluey products will be distributed locally by Imexporta in Chile and Peru; Caffaro in Argentina and Boing Toys in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Central America and the Caribbean islands.

Australia and NZ

In the series’ homeland, Australia, the well-established Bluey brand is booming, and continues to add to an impressive portfolio of partners across ANZ. 2022 kicked off with an incredible ‘Only On Airbnb’ partner experience which saw the iconic Heeler home recreated ‘for real life’ in Brisbane (generating 60 million+ social impressions), and was followed up with announcements that Bluey is the first ever Australian brand to partner with Colgate, won Preschool License of the Year at the Australian Toy Awards for the third year running, and that the Aussie-made stage show would be touring the U.S. following a wildly successful Australian run – with more major announcements to come soon in the FMCG space.

In Australia, Bluey remains the number one kids show on broadcast television and is the most-watched series ever on ABC iview. With season three already airing in Australia, the show has performed 2.3 times above timeslot average audience (total audience) and the new episodes achieved 14 of the top 20 broadcasts on free-to-air TV in 2021. Just this week, it was announced that 11 more Series 3 episodes will air in Australia from mid-June.

“Australia is the home of Bluey and fans here are absolutely buzzing about the new June episodes,” says Kate O’Connor, Head of Licensing and Brands, BBC Studios ANZ. “The second half of 2022 will bring more exciting Bluey news that we can’t wait to surprise our fans with!”

UK

Bluey is hugely popular with audiences in the UK. It was the most-watched programme on CBeebies for Q1 2022 with toys from both Moose Toys and Ravensburger making Bluey one of the hottest brands since its launch in shops last year and gaining the title of number-one new preschool toy brand in 2021 according to NPD data. Earlier this year Crayola released products in the UK, with sales already exceeding expectations. Building on this success, BBC Studios are announcing new deals with 8th Wonder (wooden toys), Spin Master (wooden puzzles – extending their US range into the UK), Moonpig (cards and gifting), Drew Pearson (accessories) and an expanded deal with Ravensburger (details below in EMEA section).

“8th Wonder is delighted to be working with BBC Studios on such a prestigious property,” says Louise Tyrer, Managing Director, 8th Wonder. “The Bluey wooden toy range will be fun, educational and produced using FSC certified wood. All product and packaging will be designed with sustainability in mind. With over 25 years’ experience creating distinctive, innovative wooden toys, we look forward to delivering an award-winning range through this fantastic brand.”

In addition, BBC Studios has just signed a new pan-European deal (inc. UK) with HTI Toys for large role play, cases, bubbles and outdoor toys.

Alison Downie, Global Licensing and Brand Director for HTI Group, says: “We are thrilled to be partnering with BBC Studios once again on another hugely popular preschool show. Bluey will be made very welcome here at HTI Toys and we are excited to develop a range of toys that complement Bluey’s love of play.”

Partners launching products in the UK this year include:

  • Character Options – Weebles and arts & crafts
  • Danilo – calendars, cards and gift stationery
  • H&A – health & beauty
  • MV Sports – wheeled toys
  • Stor – lunchboxes, bottles and tableware
  • William Lamb – footwear and bags

EMEA

Bluey continues to grow its licensing programme in EMEA and existing licensee Ravensburger has signed a new agreement with BBC Studios to cover France, Italy and Nordics and to expand its range of products in the UK including the introduction of proprietary games including Memory and Labyrinth.

 “We are delighted to extend our UK and Ireland contract for Bluey to France, Italy and the Nordic markets and to extend our very long standing and excellent partnership with BBC Studios,” says Tim Hall, Managing Director, Ravensburger. “We launched Bluey in the UK last autumn/winter and our puzzles were immediately best sellers in all the accounts where they are listed and that success continues to build. Bluey is a special property that young children and their parents adore. We look forward to further growth in the UK and Ireland and establishing the property in the new territories.”

BBC Studios has also newly appointed Mediogen as licensing agents for Israel; joining CLM (South Africa), France tv distribution (France), Maurizio Distefano Licensing (Italy), Partner Plus (Greece) and Plus Licens (Nordics, Baltics and CEE).

New Bluey licensees in EMEA include:

  • Diramix – stickers, sticker albums and cards (Italy)
  • Dolfin – seasonal confectionery (Italy)
  • Dulcop – bubbles (Italy)
  • Educa Borras – wooden puzzles and arts & crafts (France)
  • Grabo – balloons (Italy)
  • Graffiti – back to school and stationery (Greece)
  • Halantex – home textiles (Italy)
  • HTI Toys – large role play, cases, bubble toys and outdoor toys (pan-Europe inc. UK)
  • Liniex – scooters and scooter accessories (Nordics)
  • Multiprint – stamps, stationery sets and colouring sets (Italy)
  • Ravensburger – puzzles and games inc. Memory and Labyrinth (France, Italy and Nordics)
  • Showagent – meet & greet (Nordics)
  • Skybrands – apparel and home (Nordics)

Netflix green-lights five new series based on the world of Dr Seuss

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Netflix and Dr. Seuss Enterprises have announced they are bringing some of the most iconic and beloved stories and characters of Dr. Seuss to life with five new animated preschool series and specials.

The projects are inspired by treasured stories like Horton Hears a Who!, The Sneetches, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, and Wacky Wednesday, in addition to lovable characters like Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose.

Executive Producer Dustin Ferrer (Esme & Roy, Shimmer & Shine, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood) will serve as showrunner across all five projects, and additional showrunners will be revealed in the coming weeks.

The announcement expands the partnership between Netflix and Dr. Seuss Enterprises even further, following the launch of the critically acclaimed animated series Green Eggs and Ham in 2019, which will have its anticipated second season premiere on April 8, 2022.

The new Dr. Seuss line-up will serve as an anchor for Netflix’s expanded focus on preschool. Introducing concepts of foundational learning, this new slate of programming will explore themes of diversity and respect for others, all told through fun and engaging stories that incorporate the whimsical humour, distinctive visuals and rhythmic style of Dr. Seuss.

“Netflix is a trusted home for characters that kids love, and generations of kids love the characters imagined by  Dr. Seuss,” says Heather Tilert, Director of Preschool Content, Netflix. “These beloved stories have been a core part of families’ libraries for many years and it gives me great pride that we are bringing them to our catalogue of Netflix shows, in a fresh and modern way that resonates with audiences today.”

Susan Brandt, President and CEO of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, adds: “Dr. Seuss Enterprises is proud of the collaborative relationship we share with Netflix.  We are always looking for new and engaging ways to share our stories, characters and messages with the next generation of fans, and Netflix has a unique ability to create original, delightful adaptations of our timeless classics with an emphasis on imagination, fun, and education.

“Our partnership has been very prosperous thus far with our award-winning animated series Green Eggs and Ham. We hope to continue that success with our upcoming projects.”

 

 

 

 

Masha and the Bear ranked as top in-demand preschool show

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Animaccord’s hit animation Masha and the Bear has reached new heights over the past 12 months, most notably reaching 100 billion views on YouTube.

According to Parrot Analytics, in 2021 Masha and the Bear was the number-one preschool show worldwide, with 36 times more demand than the average show – putting it in the top 0.2% of all TV series across all platforms.

The series was again ranked as a top-five show among children (0-18) for 2020-2021, being more in-demand with global audiences than PAW Patrol (34.9 times) and Peppa Pig (34.1 times).

The cartoon has been 101 times more popular outside of its home market than the average show and had 32.9 times more longevity, meaning that Masha and the Bear is still very relevant in its genre after over a decade. For the US and UK markets, the show is in the top three per cent of all shows and TV series.

In addition to its success in the preschool market, Masha and the Bear also stacks up against recent global hits such as Squid Game, Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye and Amazon Prime’s Wheel of Time, being ranked as twice more in-demand.

Animaccord launches Masha and the Bear e-shop

Spin Master seals content licensing deals for its preschool series Mighty Express

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Spin Master has announced content licensing deals for its CG animated preschool series Mighty Express. Continuing to expand the franchise’s global footprint, Mighty Express is laying new tracks with broadcast networks POP UK (United Kingdom), SUPER RTL (Germany), TVP (Poland) and Tele-Quebec (Canada).

Featuring action-packed missions starring cool trains and their kid best friends, the Mighty Express series aims to take a contemporary approach to the timeless genre of trains. The licensing deal includes 60 11-minute episodes in addition to 26 3-minute shorts for over 700 minutes of Mighty content.

“From promoting teamwork and friendship to celebrating accomplishments, Mighty Express appeals to a global audience through engaging characters and exciting storylines,” says Jennifer Dodge, Spin Master’s President of Entertainment. “At Spin Master Entertainment, we are committed to developing evergreen global properties that capture the hearts and minds of children around the world and broadcast partners like these help deliver our stories to preschoolers globally.”

The Mighty Express franchise is part of the company’s commitment to a multiplatform content strategy boasting discoverability for both kids and their parents. The franchise ecosystem includes a YouTube destination that has amassed over 165 million views amounting to 4.5 million watch time hours and counting.

Studio 100 Media partners with Brandloyalty on preschool animation Vegesaurs

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While the CGI-animated preschool series Vegesaurs is still in production, Studio 100 Media has joined forces with BrandLoyalty, signing a five-year agreement for international loyalty campaigns.

Claudia Mennen, CEO of BrandLoyalty commented, “We are delighted to be able to partner with Studio 100 on the upcoming Vegesaurs series. A continuing focus for food retailers is to encourage children to choose healthier options, and therefore making vegetables fun through the Vegesaurs is a perfect way to connect with kids across the globe.”

All 20 episodes, each five minutes long, will be available in autumn 2022 for linear and non-linear distribution. Due to the nature of the content, Studio 100 Media also wants to pursue an extensive digital strategy to further increase awareness among children and parents through a viral buzz.

The Vegesaurs are vegetable- and fruit-shaped dinosaurs ready to address and teach relatable themes to upper preschoolers such as getting to sleep, sharing, friendship, nurturing mealtimes, and play. Starring lead character Ginger, a young Tricarrotops (carrot) with others including P(ea)-Rex, Cornasaurus (corn), Bananaraptor, Coconutdon, Broccolisaurus, Bokchoydactyl, Tomatodon, Appleflyrus and Potatodon, Vegesaurs aims to enrich and enhance children’s imagination.

Vegesaurs is produced by independent Australian producer Cheeky Little for the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) and France TV. Principal production funding is provided by Screen Australia, with Studio 100 as co-investor. Based on a concept created by Gary Eck and Nick O’Sullivan, the series is targeted at preschoolers. ABC will broadcast the series in Australia under the title Ginger & the Vegesaurs.

Studio 100 Media is responsible for the worldwide distribution of content, and licensing and merchandising rights beyond Australia and New Zealand, where Cheeky Little Commercial is handling all rights.