As it prepares to celebrate its 10th anniversary, German toyco Tonies has struck a licensing deal to bring preschool YouTuber Ms. Rachel onto its namesake Toniebox audio system. 

The first Ms. Rachel Tonie figure will roll out to retailers worldwide on July 20, including distribution through Walmart, Amazon and Target. 

The Toniebox is a device that reads unique stories aloud to children when they place character figures on top of the box. The new Ms. Rachel figure will take young listeners on exclusive audio field trips to places like a farm, a school and a bustling city. And the YouTube sensation will teach kids about routines, the alphabet and colors with a track list of more than 20 songs featured in her videos.

Ms. Rachel is the second YouTuber to score a deal with Tonies; in a similar deal last year, Moonbug Entertainment’s Blippi joined a licensing portfolio that encompasses more than 250 characters from kids IPs including Paddington, The Gruffalo, Moana, Peppa Pig, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Winnie the Pooh. 

Tonies is also gearing up to celebrate its 10th anniversary next year. Since launching in 2016, the company has grown substantially year over year, achieving the major milestone of selling more than 100 million Tonies figures in 2024. That same year, the company generated a record-breaking US$558 million in annual revenue, up 33% from its 2023 results. 

While just 9.3 million Toniebox systems have been sold, consumers tend to make multiple repeat purchases of its figures, as parents seek out screen-free storytelling alternatives for their kids. On average, families possess 20 figures per Toniebox after four years, according to the toyco’s internal sales data.