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Mattel closes HIT acquisition
CONSUMER PRODUCTS / RETAILOn the heels of Mattel posting strong 2011 earnings, the world’s largest toyco has completed its US$680 million acquisition of children’s entertainment producer and rights-owner HIT Entertainment from Apax Partners. The acquisition was first announced on October 24, 2011.
2 days ago
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K’Nex constructs Angry Birds deal
CONSUMER PRODUCTS / RETAILUS toyco K’Nex has inked a deal with Finland’s Rovio Mobile to produce an Angry Birds line of building toys.
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National Geographic Kids gets into preschool apps
INTERACTIVEToronto-based interactive studio zinc Roe is partnering with National Geographic Kids to create a series of apps targeted to preschoolers called Look & Learn: Animals.
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Countdown To Ecstasy
Planet PreschoolBy the time you read this, there will be less than seven days left until the highlight of my entire year: The Kidscreen Summit. Now, you would think – or hope – that there would be something I’d look forward to more than Kidscreen’s annual gathering of indies, broadcasters, licensing sharks, misfits, nutcases, and kid’s TV miscreants, but there is not. Kidscreen Summit happens to be the best place on earth to get a new property off the ground or to keep one airborne. Are there problems with Kidscreen? Well, I’ve only ever in my life heard one complaint and, I’m sorry, it is bullsh*t.
3 days ago
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HIT’s top execs to leave company
CONSUMER PRODUCTS / PEOPLE MOVES / RETAILChildren’s entertainment producer and rights-owner HIT Entertainment, which was acquired by Mattel in October 2011 for US$680 million, will be losing President and CEO, Jeffrey Dunn, and COO Sangeeta Desai following the closing of the acquisition, which was slated “to close in early 2012″ at the time of purchase.
Beyblade spins into Times Square
CONSUMER PRODUCTS / RETAILNelvana Enterprises and Hasbro have partnered to open a boutique toy showcase featuring the boy-skewing Beyblade brand in New York’s Toys ‘R’ Us flagship store in Times Square throughout February.
Kidscreened
- Viacom and Nickelodeon turn to Spongebob for ratings turnaround (New York Post)
- Germany’s RTL strengthens its library thanks to multi-year deal with Disney (The Hollywood Reporter)
- How mobile games have resonated so deeply with popular culture (Mashable)
- Take a look, it’s in a book, and an app, it’s Reading Rainbow (Tech Crunch)
Radio Disney names VP and GM
PEOPLE MOVESRadio Disney has promoted 20-year Disney vet Phil Guerini to its VP and GM and succeeds Sean Cocchia who has been promoted to the newly created position of SVP, business operations and GM, Disney Channels Worldwide.
Pajanimals wakes up to licensing deals
CONSUMER PRODUCTS / RETAILThe Jim Henson Company has inked a raft of licensing deals for its preschool brand Pajanimals, which airs as a live-action puppetry TV series on 24-hour US preschool channel Sprout.
Funtactix and Lionsgate take Hunger Games online
INTERACTIVENew York-based online game developer Funtactix (Rango: The WORLD) has joined forces with indie film entertainment studio Lionsgate to launch The Hunger Games Adventures online game in conjunction with the March 23, 2012 premiere of the first feature film in The Hunger Games trilogy.
WNET taps Ruckus for Cyberchase app
INTERACTIVEUS public media provider Thirteen/WNET New York has entered a digital partnership with mobile entertainment company Ruckus Media (My Little Pony: Twilight Sparkle, Teacher for a Day) which has been awarded worldwide rights to create interactive storybook apps based on the PBS KIDS GO! animated math series Cyberchase.
The Dark Knight Rises with WBCP
CONSUMER PRODUCTS / RETAILTimed with the July 20 premiere of the final film in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy The Dark Knight Rises, Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) has announced the launch of a worldwide licensing program based on the movie.
Art Impressions lands SO SO Happy promotion
CONSUMER PRODUCTS / RETAILCalifornia-based brand development and licensing agency Art Impressions (Skelanimals, Milky Way & the Galaxy Girls) has partnered with Taco Bell food chain in a QSR promotion based on characters from Art Impression’s SO SO Happy brand.
BabyFirstTV orders more Shushybye Baby
TVBaby-focused TV channel and media company BabyFirstTV will air 26 new episodes of live-action/musical series Shushybye Baby.
marblemedia’s Splatalot renewed
TVSeason two of Toronto, Canada-based marblemedia’s tween-targeted, medieval-themed kids game show Splatalot (26 x 30-minute) will be a reality thanks to renewals from YTV (Canada), CBBC (UK), ABC3 (Australia) and Teletoon’s French-language channel (French Canada).
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Kidscreen Summit 2010 -