On the heels of reporting significant Q3 profit losses, Finland-based Rovio Entertainment is making good on its mandate to boost its marketing spend and licensing activities in 2018. The company is gearing up for the September 2019 debut of The Angry Birds Movie 2 with a raft of partnerships, as well as extensions to its current licensing and promotional agreements.

New licensees on board the sequel include Brown Trout (calendars), FAB NY (backpacks, luggage, lunch bags, wallets and coin cases), and Wells Dairy (character-shaped ice cream and water-ice confections). Rovio will also be teaming up with Hostess Brands to feature Angry Birds on 12.5 million food packages, including Twinkies and Ding Dongs. US restaurant chain Sonic will also host an eight-week kids promotion at its locations beginning in June.

Meanwhile, Rovio has extended its agreements with Crocs (footwear), Komar Kids (sleepwear), Inkology (stationery) and Ziegenfelder (frozen novelty confections). All of the deals were secured by Rovio’s licensing agent Evolution USA.

Produced and distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment, the first Angry Birds Movie took home nearly US$350 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. In Rovio’s most recent Q3 earnings report, the company’s Brand Licensing segment belied overall company losses, with revenue rising to US$7.9 million, thanks primarily to income related to The Angry Birds Movie.