London-based indie Silvergate Media, the company behind Peter Rabbit and Octonauts, has launched its own dedicated TV distribution arm to be headed up by former France Télévisions and Chorion exec Geraint Marsh.

As SVP of global TV distribution & consumer products (Americas & France), Marsh will be responsible for the global exploitation of rights across television and digital media, and consumer products in the Americas and France for Silvergate’s key brands.

Marsh was most recently EVP of  television and consumer products at France Télévisions Distribution and previously SVP of television sales at Chorion. He held various roles in publishing and TV distribution earlier in his career.

Co-produced with Penguin UK and Nickelodeon US, the new Peter Rabbit series consists of 50 x 11-minute episodes and three half-hour specials. The series has launched in the US, UK, France and Australia, with further country launches taking place this year.

Silvergate holds worldwide licensing and merchandising rights for the Classic Peter Rabbit property and holds all worldwide audiovisual, licensing and merchandising rights for the new CGI Peter Rabbit, excluding the Americas and India which are controlled by Nickelodeon. Penguin is supporting the animation with a full publishing program.

Silvergate also holds all audiovisual and worldwide licensing and merchandising rights to Octonauts.