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Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Nickelodeon USA Notches Weekly Ratings Win With Kids And Total Viewers

Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids and families, has announced in the following press release, from TVByTheNumbers.com, the exciting Nickelodeon News that Nick USA closed the week (Monday 7th to Sunday 13th April 2014) as basic cable's number-one network in total day with Kids 2-11 (2.5/811K) and total viewers (1.5M)! This weekly win extends Nickelodeon USA's winning streak to 14 consecutive weeks, powered by the nets reinvigorated animation and preschool roster.

Nick USA also secured four of the top five animated series for the week with Kids 2-11. "SpongeBob SquarePants" was the number-one animated kids' show across all of television and led the Nickelodeon slate of programming in this category, averaging a 4.7/1.5M (+31% over a year ago). It was followed by "Sanjay and Craig" (3.9/1.2M), "Fairly Odd Parents" (3.8/1.2M, +13%), and "Breadwinners" (3.6/1.1M). "SpongeBob SquarePants" was also the top animated series with Kids 6-11 (4.2/818K, +35%) and total viewers (2.8M).

Additionally, Nickelodeon's portfolio of hit preschool shows ranked as the top five series with Kids 2-5. "PAW Patrol" led the way, averaging a 8.2/1.0M (+55%) with preschoolers; "Wallykazam!" ranked second with a 7.0/862K (+43%) average; "Team Umizoomi" placed third with a 6.2/763K (+24%); "Bubble Guppies" ranked fourth with a 6.2/762K (+13%) rating; and "Peter Rabbit" took the fifth spot averaging a 5.7/698K (+36K%).

Original Nickelodeon Press Release:

Nickelodeon NOTCHES WEEKLY WIN with Kids and Total Viewers

Net Extends Winning Streak to 14 Weeks; Lands Four of Top Five Animated Shows with Kids And Sweeps Preschool with Top Five Series

NEW YORK – April 15, 2014 – Nickelodeon closed the week (4/7/14-4/13/14) as basic cable's number-one net in total day with Kids 2-11 (2.5/811K) and total viewers (1.5M). This weekly win extends Nick's winning streak to 14 consecutive weeks, powered by the nets reinvigorated animation and preschool roster.

Nick also secured four of the top five animated series for the week with Kids 2-11. SpongeBob SquarePants was the number-one animated kids' show across all of television and led the Nick slate of programming in this category, averaging a 4.7/1.5M (+31% over a year ago). It was followed by Sanjay and Craig (3.9/1.2M), Fairly Odd Parents (3.8/1.2M, +13%), and Breadwinners (3.6/1.1M). SpongeBob SquarePants was also the top animated series with Kids 6-11 (4.2/818K, +35%) and total viewers (2.8M).

Additionally, Nickelodeon's portfolio of hit preschool shows ranked as the top five series with Kids 2-5. PAW Patrol led the way, averaging a 8.2/1.0M (+55%) with preschoolers; Wallykazam! ranked second with a 7.0/862K (+43%) average; Team Umizoomi placed third with a 6.2/763K (+24%); Bubble Guppies ranked fourth with a 6.2/762K (+13%) rating; and Peter Rabbit took the fifth spot averaging a 5.7/698K (+36K%).

Nickelodeon, now in its 35th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 19 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).

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JAKKS Pacific Secures Multi-Category License for Nickelodeon's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"

The leading U.S. toymaker JAKKS Pacific, Inc. has announced in the following press release, from Business Wire, a licensing agreement with Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids and families, to manufacture, distribute and market a brand-new line of specialty figures and toys in the United States based on the network's hit CG-animated series "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"!

The agreement includes JAKKS' Hero Portal™ TV video game platform, the next generation of JAKKS' Plug It In & Play TV Games™ products, large-scale figures and more. JAKKS expects to launch its "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" product line in Fall/Autumn 2014 to coincide with the Friday 8th August 2014 release of the feature film from Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies.

Original JAKKS Pacific, Inc. Press Release:

JAKKS Pacific Secures Multi-Category License for Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

April 15, 2014 06:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

MALIBU, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Leading U.S. toymaker JAKKS Pacific, Inc., (Nasdaq: JAKK) announced a licensing agreement with Nickelodeon to manufacture, distribute and market a line of specialty figures and toys in the United States based on the network's hit animated series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The agreement includes JAKKS' Hero Portal™ TV video game platform, the next generation of JAKKS' Plug It In & Play TV Games™ products, large-scale figures and more. JAKKS expects to launch its Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles product line in fall 2014 to coincide with the August 8, 2014, release of the feature film from Paramount Pictures.

"We are pleased to be a part of the hugely successful Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise and to bring to life the famous, crime-fighting quartet," said John Blaney, Executive Vice President of Marketing, JAKKS Pacific. "Our 48.5 inch rendering of Michelangelo is the biggest articulated figure available at retail and evokes all the action, adventure and fun of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles experience. Our new Hero Portal platform capitalizes on the way kids are playing today with collectible game pieces designed to activate features with an all-in-one TV video game console."

"JAKKS Pacific is a leader in the toy making industry and we are excited to tap into their expertise in creating products that epitomize the essence of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," said Manuel Torres, Senior Vice President, Global Toys and Publishing, Nickelodeon Consumer Products. "This new line of products will spark the imaginations of our worldwide fans and give them even more of their favorite Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo adventures at home."

About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon, now in its 35th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in almost 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 19 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).

About JAKKS Pacific, Inc.

JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAKK) is a leading designer and marketer of toys and consumer products with a wide range of products that feature popular brands and children's toy licenses. JAKKS' diverse portfolio includes Action Figures, Electronics, Dolls, Dress-Up, Role Play, Halloween Costumes, Kids Furniture, Vehicles, Plush, Art Activity Kits, Seasonal Products, Infant/Pre-School, Construction Toys, Ride-On Vehicles, Wagons, Inflatable Environments and Tents, Impulse Toys and Pet Products sold under various proprietary brands including JAKKS Pacific®, Road Champs®, Funnoodle®, JAKKS Pets™, Plug It In & Play TV Games™, Kids Only!®, Tollytots®, Disguise®, Moose Mountain® and Maui®. JAKKS is also the creator of the underlying Monsuno® property and toy line. JAKKS is an award-winning licensee of several hundred nationally and internationally known trademarks including Nickelodeon®, Warner Bros.®, DC Comics, Saban's Power Rangers® and Cabbage Patch Kids®. DreamPlay Toys, LLC is a joint venture between JAKKS Pacific, Inc. and NantWorks LLC to develop, market and sell toys and related consumer products incorporating NantWorks' proprietary iD™ recognition technology. www.jakks.com

This press release may contain forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) that are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about JAKKS Pacific's business based partly on assumptions made by its management. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such statements due to numerous factors, including, but not limited to, those described above, changes in demand for JAKKS' products, product mix, the timing of customer orders and deliveries, the impact of competitive products and pricing, and difficulties with integrating acquired businesses. The forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date on which they are made, and JAKKS undertakes no obligation to update any of them to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.

© 2014 JAKKS Pacific, Inc. All rights reserved.

Contacts
JAKKS Pacific, Inc.
Victoria Venturi, (310) 455-6235
[...]

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Monday, April 14, 2014

Nickelodeon Promotes Ad Sales And Integrated Marketing Executives

Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids and families, has announced in the following press release, from Nickelodeon's Kids and Family Press Site, NickPress.com, several key promotions across its Ad Sales and Integrated Marketing departments. In Ad Sales, Lauren Buerger has been named Senior Vice President (SVP), New Business Development; and Jake Piasecki has been named Senior Vice President (SVP), Ad Sales NYC. They will report to Jim Perry, Head of Sales, Nickelodeon Group.

Original Nickelodeon Press Release:

NICKELODEON PROMOTES AD SALES AND INTEGRATED MARKETING EXECUTIVES

NEW YORK –April 11, 2014 – Nickelodeon today announced several key promotions across its Ad Sales and Integrated Marketing departments. In Ad Sales, Lauren Buerger has been named Senior Vice President, New Business Development; and Jake Piasecki has been named Senior Vice President, Ad Sales NYC. They will report to Jim Perry, Head of Sales, Nickelodeon Group.

In Integrated Marketing, Lauren Elchoness has been named Senior Vice President of Integrated Marketing; Marc Epstein has been named Senior Vice President of Sports, Recreation and New Business Integrated Marketing; and Jennifer Tracy has been named Senior Vice President, Integrated Marketing, Innovation and Sponsorship Development. Elchoness, Epstein and Tracy will report to Sharon Cohen, Executive Vice President, Partnership Marketing, Nickelodeon Group.

Buerger, in her new role, will shape sales strategy for the New Business group and lead a national team of senior sales directors charged with broadening and developing new business relationships nationwide. She joined Nickelodeon as the Vice President of New Business Development in 2012 after serving over 20 years in the magazine publishing sector, primarily at Condé Nast and Meredith Publications.

Piasecki will oversee a New York sales team and help lead strategy, drive creative vision and direct innovative programs that deliver maximum revenue potential. Piasecki is a 15-year Viacom veteran who, most recently, served as Vice President, Sales and Marketing where he led one of the New York sales teams and oversaw sales' marketing operations for Nickelodeon's television and digital screens.

Elchoness, a 15-year Nickelodeon veteran, will lead the Integrated Marketing convergent account team in creating compelling promotional concepts that drive brand awareness and market share. In her previous role as Vice President of Integrated Marketing, Elchoness directed efforts to create and implement innovative convergent promotions across Nickelodeon's television and digital portfolio. Epstein will now manage teams dedicated to developing innovative marketing partnerships for nontraditional and new business ad sales partners, shape sports marketing strategy and craft programs to support Nickelodeon's recreation venues, tours and exhibits. The nine-year Nickelodeon veteran previously served as the Vice President of Business Development, Integrated Marketing and Partnerships where he created compelling promotional programs that helped secure non-endemic advertisers and partners.

Tracy, a nine-year Nickelodeon veteran, will oversee the Innovation and Convergent Sponsorship Development team, creating new sponsorship models and concepts for the network's properties, tentpoles and events, as well as its Movie Studios and Video Games accounts. Prior to this role, she served as Vice President of Digital Integrated Marketing where she launched Nick's first cross-platform games and destinations for advertising partners and markedly improved social media performance for her department.

Nickelodeon, now in its 35th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in almost 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 19 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).

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Kids Try And Stay in the Game on "Nick News with Linda Ellerbee" Special "Sidelined: How Safe Are Kids' Sports?", Premiering Tuesday 15th April 2014 On Nickelodeon USA

Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids and families, has announced in the following press release, from TV by the Numbers, that Nick USA will premiere and show the latest brand-new "Nick News with Linda Ellerbee" special episode, called "Sidelined: How Safe Are Kids' Sports?", on Tuesday 15th April 2014 at 8:00pm (ET/PT). The special will explore how kids can get hurt playing sports and what's being done to reverse this trend.

Original Nickelodeon Press Release:

KIDS TRY TO STAY IN THE GAME ON NICK NEWS WITH LINDA ELLERBEE "SIDELINED: HOW SAFE ARE KIDS' SPORTS?"

PREMIERING TUESDAY, APRIL 15, AT 8 P.M. (ET/PT) ON NICKELODEON

NEW YORK – April 11, 2014 – Nick News with Linda Ellerbee explores how kids can get hurt playing sports and what's being done to reverse this trend in the brand-new special, "Sidelined: How Safe Are Kids' Sports?" premiering Tuesday, April 15, at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. In the half-hour special, kids from around the country share stories of the injuries they have endured playing the sport they love.

"Kids playing sports today are getting hurt in alarming numbers," says Ellerbee. "More kids get hurt than professional athletes, and according to the Centers for Disease Control, kids account for half of all sports injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms."

"There is a trend for earlier specialization in sport… so in the last ten years we're seeing a dramatic increase in overuse related injuries," says Dr. Michael Bergeron, Executive Director of the National Youth Sports Health and Safety Institute.

12-year-old Masyn, a middle school baseball player from Lancaster, Pa. badly injured his shoulder from throwing. "[The doctor] told me that I had to stop playing baseball for three months and go to physical therapy," he says. "When I heard those words come out of his mouth, I started to cry because I couldn't live without baseball."

17-year-old football star Devin of Huber Heights, Ohio has experienced multiple concussions. "I'm not all the way there mentally yet, focusing is harder, my hands rattle when I write because of my nervous system," he says. "The roughest part of this is knowing that I might not be able to play football again."

When 13-year-old Olivia of Houston, Texas felt pain in her back, she continued cheering and wound up with a severe spinal stress fracture. "I was really driven to keep on going," she says.

The special discusses how kids suffer more concussions in football than any other organized sport. As a result, in 2012 USA Football implemented the "Heads Up Football" program, which focuses on tackling and making contact in a safer way. "With the increased awareness and diagnosis of concussions and other injuries we felt that we needed to regulate our sport a little better," says Mike Lalli, the Head Football Coach at Chantilly High School in Fairfax County, Va. "The key thing is training and education for the kids, the parents, and the coaches."

Nick News, produced by Lucky Duck Productions, is now in its 23rd year and is the longest-running kids' news show in television history. It has built its reputation on the respectful and direct way it speaks to kids about the important issues of the day. Over the years, Nick News has received more than 21 Emmy nominations and recently won its tenth Emmy Award for Forgotten But Not Gone: Kids, HIV & AIDS in the category of Outstanding Children's Nonfiction Program. Additional Emmy wins for outstanding children's programming include: Under the Influence: Kids of Alcoholics (2011); (The Face of Courage: Kids Living with Cancer (2010); Coming Home: When Parents Return from War (2009); The Untouchable Kids of India (2008); Private Worlds: Kids and Autism (2007); Never Again: From the Holocaust to the Sudan (2005); Faces of Hope: The Kids of Afghanistan (2002) and What Are You Staring At? (1998). In addition, in 1995, the entire series won the Emmy. In 2009, Nick News was honored with the Edward R. Murrow Award for best Network News Documentary for Coming Home: When Parents Return from War — the first-ever kids' television program to receive this prestigious award. Nick News has also received three Peabody Awards, including a personal award given to Ellerbee for explaining the impeachment of President Clinton to kids, as well as a Columbia duPont Award and more than a dozen Parents' Choice Awards.

Tags: Nick News With Linda Ellerbee Ratings

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Nickelodeon UK To Premiere "See Dad Run" On Tuesday 6th May 2014

Nickelodeon UK, the number one commercial kids TV network in the UK, has announced the exciting Nick UK news that All New All Nick will be continuing in May 2014 when Nickelodeon UK & Ireland and Nickelodeon HD UK starts to show Nick at Nite USA's first original scripted family comedy series "See Dad Run" from Tuesday 6th May 2014 at 6:30pm (repeated at 7:30pm on Nick +1), as part of Nickelodeon UK's Spring/Summer 2014 programming highlights!

Nick UK announced the aweslime news on their brand-new recently launched official "See Dad Run" show website to accompany the all-new series on nick.co.uk, which features a 'Meet the Characters' section featuring bios about each character in "See Dad Run" - David Hobbs, Amy Hobbs, Emily Hobbs, Joe Hobbs, and Janie Hobbs - plus a photo gallery full of animated GIF's featuring some of the shows best moments, a video clips section featuring hilarious exclusive online streaming video clips from the series and a exclusive online quiz in which you can find out which Hobbs kid you most relate with!

"See Dad Run" is executive produced by and stars Scott Baio who plays David Hobbs, an actor who, after a decade on television, becomes a stay-at-home father while his soap star wife Amy Hobbs (Alanna Ubach, "Legally Blonde") makes her return to the limelight. Mark Curry ("Hangin' with Mr. Cooper") also stars. Rounding out the cast are Ryan Newman ("Zeke and Luther") and Bailey Michelle Brown as David’s daughters, Emily and Janie, and Jackson Brundage ("One Tree Hill", "You Gotta See This") as David's son, Joe. The series, shot on the former "Happy Days" stage in Los Angeles, is created/executive produced by Tina Albanese and Patrick Labyorteaux, with executive producers Nat Bernstein and Mitchel Katlin serving as showrunners. Eric Bischoff and Jason Hervey also serve as executive producers through their production company Bischoff Hervey Entertainment (BHE).

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