Following the on-air success and new consumer products growth of Matt Hatter Chronicles in the Middle East and Turkey, UK-based Platinum Films has appointed Cartoon Network as the licensing agent for the boy-skewing adventure series in those regions.
Terms of the new deal will see Cartoon Network launch a robust cross-category licensing program throughout the Middle East and Turkey in 2016 with exclusive new partners.
The IP’s master toy partner Simba Dickie first launched a toy and back-to-school range (bags, stationery, role-play, vehicles and action figures) in the Middle East last year. Another Matt Hatter toy line from Simba Dickie was introduced in Turkey in October, with products sold exclusively through retail chains Toyzzshop and Penzzshop via distribution partner Sunman.
On television, Matt Hatter Chronicles has been a consistent top-10 hit for Cartoon Network in the Middle East since its premiere on CN Arabic and the net’s English pay-TV service in 2014. The program also airs on Al Jazeera’s dedicated kids channel Jeem TV and debuted on Cartoon Network Turkey in May 2015. Turkey’s OFLAZ Media Group also broadcasts the series on its children’s channel KIDZ.
In other Cartoon Network-related news, the kidnet has snapped up the brand-new fifth season of Xilam’s slapstick animated series Oggy and the Cockroaches for Asia Pacific.
The 78 x seven-minute season from the French prodco is expected to debut in Ultra HD in 2017. The animation studio’s most recent co-pro agreement with Cartoon Network was for Oggy season four in 2012.
Since first airing in 1998, the series and its star Oggy the fat, blue cat has reached 150 countries and an estimated 600 million households.