Angry Birds creator teams with Toonbox to launch Kit^n^Kate into consumer products.
For the first time, Rovio is going ‘beyond the bird’, signing up its first IP outside of the Angry Birds universe for its consumer products portfolio.
The company is to create a licensing programme for Toolbox Animation’s Kit^n^Kate, an educational short-form animated series for preschoolers.
Kit^n^Kate, which airs terrestrially and on Rovio’s own ToonsTV VOD platform, has also been extended for two full seasons, or 72 additional episodes, making 104 episodes in total which will be available by the end of 2018.
In addition to showing Kit^n^Kate on ToonsTV, since last March Rovio has acted as the property’s master publishing licensee through book publishing arm Kaiken Publishing.
Rovio will now also act as Kit^n^Kate’s master licensee globally (excluding Russia and China) across a wide range of consumer product categories, including toys and apparel.
Speaking at Brand Licensing Europe yesterday (Wednesday October 12), Alex Lambeek, chief commercial officer at Rovio, said: “We are extremely excited about this as, for the first time we are going beyond the bird.
“We are now beginning to have a portfolio and can discuss very distinct properties.
“Kit^n^Kate also gets us into the preschool space, so it’s a different audience and complementary to Angry Birds.”
Pavel Muntyan, ceo of Toonbox Animation, added: “We felt that Rovio, with its franchising expertise, long-term outlook and global network, was a natural partner to work with as we commit to raising the profile of the franchise and building a new fixture of children’s television.”
(Pictured from left to right: Alex Lambeek, chief commercial officer, Rovio; Pavel Muntyan, ceo, Toonbox Animation; Laura Nevanlinna, publisher and ceo, Kaiken Publishing; Joseph Knowles, PR manager and senior writer, Rovio; and Yaro Polyanskiy, licensing and sales director, Toonbox Animation.)
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