Henson’s HIP takes on Annoying Orange as its first third party distribution

October 15, 2012 by Kate Calder

L.A.-based The Collective has appointed HIP (Henson Independent Properties), The Jim Henson Company’s third party licensing banner, as the exclusive international distributor of its hit Annoying Orange TV series.

The Annoying Orange deal marks HIP’s first third-party distribution property and will include television, home entertainment and digital platforms. HIP introduced the TV series to international broadcasters at MIP Junior and MIPCOM last week and will also shop the series at Singapore’s Asian Television Forum in December.

Annoying Orange debuted on YouTube in October 2009 and since then has racked up more than one billion total views with more 2.4 million YouTube channel subscribers, four million monthly page views on www.annoyingorange.com and more than 11 million Facebook likes. The Annoying Orange TV series airs Mondays at 8:30pm ET/7:30pm CT on Cartoon Network, and continually ranks amongst the top shows for boys in the time period.

The series follows Orange and his produce pals as they go on an array of adventures. The only human to interact with fruit is Nerville, played by YouTube star Toby Turner, as the proprietor of a fruit cart where Orange and his crew reside. Boedigheimer and Tom Sheppard (Pinky and the Brain) co-created the television series while The Collective developed and produced the project. Conrad Vernon (Madagascar 3, Monsters vs. Aliens) serves as executive producer along with Gary Binkow and Dan Weinstein of The Collective.

The Collective is also expanding the licensing program for Annoying Orange internationally with several new deals to be unveiled in the coming weeks. A line of Annoying Orange products including toys, apparel, graphic novels, accessories and novelties, among other items rolled out at US retailers including Toys ‘R’ Us and JCPenney last year.

Tags: Annoying Orange, HIP, The Collective, The Jim Henson Company