Twelve new deals across linear broadcast, VOD,
home entertainment and theatrical build on strong partnership for
leading kids' content and brands
HALIFAX, Jan. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - DHX Media (or "the
Company") (TSX: DHX.A, DHX.B; NASDAQ: DHXM), a leading global
children's content and brands company, and Mattel Creations, a
centralized theatrical, television and digital content creation
division from Mattel Inc., are pleased to announce numerous
international deals for the latest seasons of hit preschool series
Fireman Sam and Bob the Builder, spanning linear
broadcast, video-on-demand, home entertainment and theatrical.
Building on DHX Media and Mattel's strategic partnership to
drive growth in some of the world's most popular kids' brands,
broadcast deals for season 11 of Fireman Sam have been
struck with France Télévisions for its France 5 channel; Hop! Media Group
(Israel); and MiniMini+, part of
Canal+ International (Poland). In
home entertainment, rights for season 11 of Fireman Sam have
been signed to Universal Home Video (France), ABC Commercial (Australia) and justbridge (Germany and Austria), while theatrical rights for this
newest season have been signed to Pathé Live (France).
Additionally, season three of Bob the Builder has been
picked up for broadcast by SuperRTL (Germany); Télé-Québec (Canada); Hop! Media Group (Israel); and MiniMini+, part of Canal+
International (Poland). Meanwhile,
ABC Commercial has picked up home entertainment and SVOD rights to
season three of Bob the Builder for Australia.
"Our strong relationship with Mattel continues to bear fruit, as
we drive solid demand for Fireman Sam and Bob the
Builder internationally," said Jerry
Diaz, VP Distribution, DHX Media. "Preschoolers around
the world love these shows and can't get enough of these fun and
adventurous characters. We're excited to deliver fresh new episodes
to build on the global appeal of these brands, and drive multiple
revenue streams."
Andy Gosling, Director of
Marketing for Bob the Builder and Fireman Sam,
Mattel, Inc. said: "We are delighted with these new deals and the
strong results from our partners at DHX Media. The rollout and
distribution of our brand new content will help us drive these
brand franchises further and connect with audiences around the
world."
About Bob the Builder
Bob the Builder's third CGI series (26 x 11'' episodes)
maintains the feel-good emotional warmth which viewers have come to
love, combined with even more big builds and hilarious mishaps,
including: building a giant maze and then getting lost in it;
meeting a family of adorable bobcats and keeping them safe; and
accidentally destroying a building while filming an epic action
movie! All of these challenges will be met with Bob and his team's
"Can We Build It? Yes We Can!" philosophy. The new season also
brings the introduction of three new characters to the Bob the
Builder team: Picksy, a charming but rough-and-tumble
cherry picker (who Lofty has a crush on!); Rocky, the tiny
but hard-working compact loader; and Norm, a giant
tunnel-drilling machine. These three join the Mega-Machines
introduced last season: Ace, a much larger version of Scoop;
Thud, an enormous, hard-working dumper; and Crunch, a
grunting, super-sized excavator.
About Fireman Sam
Fireman Sam is back for more heroic adventures in the
accident-prone Welsh town of Pontypandy. The eleventh season (13 x
10' episodes) of Fireman Sam retains the excitement,
adventure and comedy that audiences love, whilst venturing on new
and even bigger rescues: exploding gas canisters in the woods; a
daring mountain rescue from a zip wire over a waterfall; a car
stuck in a tree; an out of control robotic dog. No rescue is too
challenging for Fireman Sam and his crew! While the overall safety
message remains core to the show, the storylines continue to be
adapted for a young audience through increased humour and funny
sequences, making it fun for both children and parents!
Produced in DHX Media's Halifax
studio, the newest seasons of Bob the Builder and Fireman
Sam are scheduled for release later in 2018.
About DHX Media Ltd.
DHX Media Ltd. (TSX: DHX.A, DHX.B; NASDAQ: DHXM) is a leading
children's content and brands company, recognized globally for such
high-profile properties as Peanuts, Teletubbies,
Strawberry Shortcake, Caillou, Inspector Gadget, and the
acclaimed Degrassi franchise. One of the world's foremost
producers of children's shows, DHX Media owns the world's largest
independent library of children's content, at 13,000 half-hours. It
licenses its content to broadcasters and streaming services
worldwide and generates royalties through its global consumer
products program. Through its subsidiary, WildBrain, DHX Media
operates one of the largest networks of children's channels on
YouTube. Headquartered in Canada,
DHX Media has 20 offices worldwide. Visit us
at www.dhxmedia.com.
About Mattel Creations
Mattel Creations is a creations company that inspires the wonder
of childhood. Our mission is to be the recognized leader in play,
learning and development worldwide. Mattel's portfolio of global
consumer brands includes American Girl®, Barbie®, Fisher-Price®,
Hot Wheels®, Monster High® and Thomas & Friends®, among many
others. Mattel also creates a wealth of lines and products made in
collaboration with leading entertainment and technology companies.
With a global workforce of approximately 31,000 people, Mattel
operates in 40 countries and territories and sells products in more
than 150 nations. Visit us online at www.mattel.com.
Disclaimer
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" under
applicable securities laws with respect to DHX Media including,
without limitation, statements regarding the business strategies
and operational activities of DHX Media, including international
demand for Fireman Sam and Bob the Builder, expected impact of the
new content on the brand franchises and the timing for the release
of new Fireman Sam and Bob the Builder content. Although the
Company believes that the expectations reflected in such
forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve
risks and uncertainties and are based on information currently
available to the Company. Actual results or events may differ
materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to
differ materially from current expectations, among other things,
include the ability of the Company to execute on licensing
arrangements, consumer preferences and risk factors discussed in
materials filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities
from time to time including matters discussed under "Risk Factors"
in the Company's most recent Annual Information Form and annual
Management Discussion and Analysis, which also form part of the
Company's annual report on Form 40-F filed with the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements are made
as of the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to
update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances,
except as required by law.
SOURCE DHX Media Ltd.