UK-based producer and rights management company Coolabi has inked a US home entertainment and digital distribution deal with producer-distributor Entertainment One (eOne) for its preschool animated property Poppy Cat (52 x 11-minute).

The agreement will see eOne launch Poppy Cat on DVD this coming fall. Other consumer products including toys may also be coming soon as New-York based The Joester Loria Group has been in discussions with potential partners on behalf of the property.

Poppy Cat, which is based on a book series created by Brit author Lara Jones that has sold more than 2.5 million copies worldwide, is commissioned by Nick Jr. UK and debuted on 24-hour preschool channel PBS Kids Sprout in November last year. The series has been picked up by more than 20 broadcasters worldwide including Disney Junior in Spain and Latin America, Nick Jr. Australia, TVO, SCN and Knowledge Network in Canada, RTE Ireland, across Scandinavia and the Middle East.

The new deal comes after Coolabi recently finalized a US$7.7 million management buyout by shareholder Edge Performance that gives Coolabi access to new funds and better leverage to grow its brands.

Coolabi has already launched a digital strategy for Poppy Cat with Nick Jr., a tie-in has been signed for books with pubco MacMillan, and a deal with UK toy manufacturer Golden Bear will bring plush, plastics and arts & crafts products to market this fall.