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DHX Media’s Rastamouse TV Series Going International

dhx media [1]DHX Media Ltd. [1] has announced that it has signed new international broadcast licenses with BBC Worldwide Channels for its Rastamouse [2] hit pre-school TV series for its feeds in Hispanic US, Latin America and Africa.  Also, distribution agent White Fox has licensed the series for Greece and Cyprus, where it will air on ERT3.

Josh Scherba, SVP Distribution at DHX Media said: “Hot on the heels of its first anniversary Rastamouse has clocked up over 40 broadcast territories with further deals imminent. We also have a notable line up of UK licensing partners already on board. With a new series in production and more deals to follow, the property is set for another strong year.”

Stop-frame animated series Rastamouse is set for a second season on CBeebies in the United Kingdom after scoring high ratings on the channel and its internet-based viewing platform, iPlayer, and proving hugely popular with UK preschool audiences and their parents. In 2012, Rastamouse on CBeebies has achieved an average audience per episode of 182,000 and a 19.2% share of children aged 0-6.  In addition, in the first three months of the year, Rastamouse had been requested over 288,000 times on the BBC iPlayer.rastamouse [3]

Brand activity for the first half of 2012 includes the launch of the second DVD in the UK in March via Universal, and the first TV tie-in books published by Macmillan. Immediate Media are set to launch a Rastamouse standalone magazine following the success of CBeebies magazine’s Rastamouse special in February.  Character Options will continue to release additional skus to complement Rastamouse plush toys by adding playsets and musical toys to their current line. Rastamouse is also building momentum outside of the UK, ABC recently launched the second Rastamouse DVD in Australia and Media Service Zawada will be releasing the first Rastamouse DVD in Poland in April 2012.

Based on the critically acclaimed books by Genevieve Webster and Michael De Souza, Rastamouse launched on CBeebies in January 2011 and has since engaged a following of preschoolers and parents alike.  The series features Rastamouse, Scratchy and Zoomer of Da Easy Crew, the mystery-solving, reggae-playing band who always make ‘a bad ting good’ and live by their motto “redemption, not retribution.”

The property quickly attracted a roster of licensees with DHX Media, together with subsidiary W!LDBRAIN Entertainment, signing deals with Universal (DVD), Character Options (master toy), Macmillan (publishing) followed by Vogue (melamine products from tableware to drinkware, clocks and room decor), Zap (bedding), MVSports (outdoor toys), Somerbond (underwear and nightwear) and Their Nibs (children’s sleepwear), Trademark Collections (bags, purses, wallets and umbrellas), Roy Lowe & Sons Ltd (socks, tights, hats, gloves and scarves) and GB Eye Limited (posters, prints, badges, stickers, tattoos). Ty UK Ltd.  is also developing a Ty Beanie Baby line.

A Rastamouse Company Production for CBeebies, Rastamouse is produced by Greg Boardman and Eugenio Perez of Three Stones Media, in association with Wales’s Dinamo Productions, London-based Little Roots and DHX Media, which handles worldwide TV sales (excluding the UK) and worldwide licensing and merchandising.

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1 Comment To "DHX Media’s Rastamouse TV Series Going International"

#1 Comment By Tami Quiring (@VillageGamer) On Wednesday May 2, 2012 @ 4:17 am

.@dhxmedia Rastamouse TV Series Going International [8]