Sunday, June 15, 2014

Nickelodeon India Acquires "Extreme Football"; To Premiere Show In August 2014; Reliance Industries Takes Over Network18

The animation news website Animation World Network (AWN) is reporting in the following article that Zodiak Kids, a global independent leader in kids entertainment, has announced the exciting Nickelodeon International News that Nickelodeon India has picked up the broadcast rights to "Extreme Football", a brand-new 39 x 26' CG-animated series produced by Tele Images Productions, and will start to premiere and show the series in August 2014.


"Extreme Football" has also been acquired by broadcasters in the UK, Israel, India, Finland and China.

Zodiak Kids is also delighted to announce the launch of the "Extreme Football Runner" app in France, where "Extreme Football" is currently airing on public channel France 3 and ranks as the channel's #1 new kids' show of the year. Fans of the series and extreme football alike can now also download the dedicated app designed by Happy Blue Fish on iOs and android devices. In "Extreme Football Runner", the player needs to help Samy race his opponents and overcome a series of hurdles whether in a parking lot, outdoors, on a construction site or in a greenhouse.

"Extreme Football" is an urban spin-off of traditional five-a-side incorporating elements of free running and acrobatics. Created by and for children, as soon as Samy discovers it he is determined to captain a team. He sets about recruiting his closest friend Greg and Mediterranean girl Ines as defenders, quick-witted Luna as the star striker and hyperactive Joey as goalkeeper. Together they form The Team. Competing in a shopping mall still under construction, rivalries are based on players' dedication to creativity, craft and skill. The Team's sworn enemies are The Dark Sides, who use dirty tactics – provocation, trickery and hoaxes. Trained by Samy's stepbrother Tag, can The Team win with style? "Extreme Football" is co-produced with Italian studio Maga Animation, in partnership with XYZ Digital Animation in China.

In additional Nickelodeon India news, the entertainment news website C21Media is reporting in a separate article, also below, that the Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries has acquired a controlling stake in Network18 Group, Viacom's joint venture partner in India, for US$680m. The deal will give Reliance, which is backed by India's richest man, Mukesh Ambani, a 78% stake in the Indian media giant, which runs news and entertainment channels and an e-commerce business. It also has a local joint venture with US media conglomerate Viacom called Viacom18, which includes channels such as MTV India, Nickelodeon India and Comedy Central.

From AWN:
Zodiak Kids Scores New Territories for 'Extreme Football'

CGI animated series 'Extreme Football,' produced by Tele Images Productions, is sold to a raft of territories ahead of the 2014 World Cup.

[...]

Zodiak Kids announces that Extreme Football, the 39 x 26' CGI animated series produced by Tele Images Productions, has been sold to raft of territories ahead of the 2014 World Cup.

New agreements have been concluded with broadcasters in the UK, Israel, India, Finland and China.

In Israel, Extreme Football has already kicked off on Talit (Junior Channel) where the show launched on 8th June.

In China, Extreme Football will be available on the highly popular youth VOD platforms IQiYi, Tencent and Youku throughout the World Cup. Nickelodeon India has also acquired Extreme Football and will launch the series shortly after the competition ends in August.

Extreme Football will make its UK debut on BBC Alba in early July and will air on MTV Oy Finland later this year.

In France, Extreme Football is currently airing on public channel France 3 and ranks as the channel's #1 new kids' show of the year.

Zodiak Kids is also delighted to announce the launch of the Extreme Football Runner app in France. Fans of the series and extreme football alike can now also download the dedicated app designed by Happy Blue Fish on iOs and android devices. In Extreme Football Runner, the player needs to help Samy race his opponents and overcome a series of hurdles whether in a parking lot, outdoors, on a construction site or in a greenhouse.

Extreme football is coproduced with Italian studio Maga Animation, in partnership with XYZ Digital Animation in China.

Extreme Football is an urban spin off of traditional five-a-side incorporating elements of free running and acrobatics. Created by and for children, as soon as Samy discovers it he is determined to captain a team. He sets about recruiting his closest friend Greg and Mediterranean girl Ines as defenders, quick-witted Luna as the star striker and hyperactive Joey as goalkeeper. Together they form The Team. Competing in a shopping mall still under construction, rivalries are based on players' dedication to creativity, craft and skill. The Team's sworn enemies are The Dark Sides, who use dirty tactics – provocation, trickery and hoaxes. Trained by Samy's stepbrother Tag, can The Team win with style?

Source: Zodiak Kids
Also, from C21Media:
Reliance takes over Network18

Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries has acquired a controlling stake in Network18 Group, Viacom’s joint venture partner in India, for US$680m.

The deal will give Reliance, which is backed by India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, a 78% stake in the Indian media giant, which runs news and entertainment channels and an e-commerce business.

It also has a local joint venture with US media conglomerate Viacom called Viacom18, which includes channels such as MTV India, Nickelodeon India and Comedy Central.

The acquisition follows Reliance’s investment in Network18 in 2012, which allowed it to acquire smaller local rival ETV’s channel assets in a deal worth nearly US$400m.

Reliance, which is also a major player in the oil and gas industries, will now target the 4G business with Network18′s digital properties, including websites moneycontrol.com and firstpost.com.

“This acquisition will differentiate Reliance’s 4G business by providing a unique amalgamation at the intersection of telecoms, web and digital commerce via a suite of premier digital properties,” the company said in a statement.

Reliance previously had a joint venture with CBS Studios International that operated three channels in India, but the three-year partnership came to an end earlier this year.

Nico Franks
30-05-2014
©C21Media

TAGS: Mergers and Acquisitions
COMPANIES: Network18 Group, Reliance Industries, Viacom
SECTIONS: C21Drama, C21Factual, Formats Lab
COUNTRIES: India, US

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AmeriGO RV Club Blogger Susie Kellogg And Her Full-time RVing Family To Be Featured On "Nick News With Linda Ellerbee" Special "12 For The Road", Premiering Tuesday 17th June 2014 On Nickelodeon USA

AmeriGO RV Club, the newest RV consumer organization in the RV industry, has announced in the following press release, from PRWeb, that Nickelodeon USA will premiere and show the latest brand-new "Nick News with Linda Ellerbee" special episode, called "12 For The Road", on Tuesday 17th June 2014 at 8:00pm (ET/PT). The all-new "Nick News" special will focus on kids with non-traditional lives, and will showcase the day-to-day life of popular AmeriGO RV Club blogger Susie Kellogg and her 14-member family who travel across the USA full-time in their RV.

For the special, the "Nick News" film crew followed the twelve Kellogg children and their parents for nine days to document their non-traditional RV home life and on-the-road lifestyle, filming them snowboarding, kayaking on rivers and waterfalls, paintballing, camping, having family dinners, enjoying campfires, and much more. The special will also share insightful information about RVing full-time with kids via interviews with Susie Kellogg, her husband Dan and their kids.

Original AmeriGO RV Club Press Release:

AmeriGO RV Club Blogger Susie Kellogg and Her Full-time RVing Family to be Featured on Nick News with Linda Ellerbee

Nick News is scheduled to air a half-hour TV special, “12 For The Road,” on Nickelodeon, that will focus on kids living non-traditional lives. The show is to air on Tuesday, June 16th, 2014 at 8:00 pm ET and will feature the exciting lifestyle of AmeriGO RV Club blogger Susie Kellogg and her family of 14 who travel across the country via RV full-time.



The Kellogg Family Kids To Be Featured on Nick News

Charlotte, NC (PRWEB) June 13, 2014

AmeriGO RV Club, the newest RV consumer organization in the RV industry, is proud to announce that one of its popular bloggers Susie Kellogg and her family are scheduled to be featured on Nickelodeon's Nick News TV show with Linda Ellerbee. The half-hour special, "12 For The Road," is focused on kids with non-traditional lives, showcasing the day-to-day life of the 14-member Kellogg family who travel across country full-time in their RV. The show is set to air on Tuesday, June 17th, 2014 at 8:00 PM E/T on Nickelodeon.

The Nick News crew followed the twelve Kellogg children and their parents for nine days to document their non-traditional RV home life and on-the-road lifestyle, filming them snowboarding, kayaking on rivers and waterfalls, paintballing, camping, having family dinners, enjoying campfires, and much more. The special will also share insightful information about RVing full-time with kids via interviews with Susie Kellogg, her husband Dan and their kids.

"It is wonderful that Nick News is sharing our way of life, filming us in our natural habitat...outside, living a very healthy, simple, and exciting life," said Susie Kellogg. "Our choice to travel across the country in our RV full-time offers us ample time to spend together as a family, where evening entertainment is fire building and ghost stories instead of hurried dinners and TV watching ...we are ordinary people living extraordinary lives."

"We are thrilled that Nickelodeon's Nick News has chosen to feature the life of the Kellogg family and Susie, one of AmeriGO's acclaimed bloggers," said Mike Schneider, CEO of AmeriGO RV Club. "Susie offers a real world perspective and terrific family travel insight as a positive proponent of the RVing world. Her family's drive to foster awareness of RVing and their on-the-road lifestyle is completely aligned with the goals of AmeriGO RV Club to continually promote the adventures of RVing. We look forward to sharing Susie's valuable information, expertise on traveling by RV with kids, and her personal family stories and adventures from the road through our AmeriGO blogs."

Nick News, produced by Lucky Duck Productions, is now in its 20th 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 children about the important issues of the day. In 2009, Nick News was honored with its first ever Edward R. Murrow Award for "Network News Documentary" for the documentary special, "Coming Home: When Parents Return from War," marking the first-ever kids television program to receive the prestigious award.

Over the years, Nick News has received more than 20 Emmy nominations and recently won its ninth Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Children's Nonfiction Program for "Under the Influence: Kids of Alcoholics." Additional Emmy wins for Outstanding Children's Programming include: "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); "From the Holocaust to the Sudan" (2005); "Faces of Hope: The Kids of Afghanistan" (2002); "What Are You Staring At?" (1998). In addition, in 1994, the entire series won the Emmy for Outstanding Children's Programming.

Nick News has also received three Peabody Awards, including a personal award given to Ellerbee for her coverage for kids of the President Clinton investigation, as well as two Columbia duPont Awards and more than a dozen Parents' Choice Awards.

About AmeriGO RV Club

AmeriGO RV Club is a modern, all-encompassing member-driven club for RV enthusiasts that serves the entire RV marketplace. The company presents consumers with valuable benefits, discounts and unique opportunities designed especially for RVers and features a highly advanced online destination and community for anything and everything related to RVing.

Follow AmeriGO RV Club via the company's page on Facebook at facebook.com/AmeriGOrvClub and via the company's Twitter channel at twitter.com/AmeriGOrvclub. For additional information or to become a member, visit AmeriGOrv.com.

###

Contact
Marlene Oliver
NJC Communications
305-491-0512
[...]
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Saturday, June 14, 2014

Ubisoft's Rabbids To Wreak Havok On Store Shelves This Summer

Ubisoft, a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, has announced the bwaah-some news in the following press release, from Business Wire, that Ubisoft's mischievous Raving Rabbids are invading stores this Summer with a full lineup of licensed apparel, books, toys and more available at major retailers!



Five uniquely soft, lovable, yet wacky plush Rabbids from McFarlane available at Walmart for $12.97. (Photo: Business Wire)

These crazy creatures are undoubtedly one of the best known Ubisoft brands worldwide and extend well beyond video games in parodies, videos, illustrations, partnerships, consumer products and a hit television series on Nickelodeon, "Rabbids Invasion".

Additionally, Ubisoft has also announced more information about "Rabbids Invasion: The Interactive TV Show"! Available in November 2014, the brand-new video game is based on Ubisoft and Nickelodeon's highly successful "Rabbids Invasion" TV series created by Ubisoft Motion Pictures and is broadcast in several territories, including on Nickelodeon channels in the USA, UK and Germany. Launched in Fall 2013, the hit TV show has already been viewed more than 280 million times worldwide. The video game enables kids to jump into a selection of 20 episodes of the popular TV show and participate in the action on-screen.

The Rabbids are a true pop culture phenomenon and these wacky creatures have no plans to stop their rampage any time soon. Specific details on retailers, pricing and availability for Rabbids-inspired products can be found in Ubisoft's original press release announcing the Bwahsome news.

Original Ubisoft Press Release:

Ubisoft's Rabbids Wreak Havok on Store Shelves This Summer

Apparel, Toys and More Available at Major Retail Stores

June 13, 2014 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Licensing Expo 2014

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ubisoft®'s Rabbids® are invading stores nationwide with a full lineup of licensed apparel, books, toys and more available at major retailers. These crazy creatures are undoubtedly one of the best known Ubisoft brands worldwide and extend well beyond video games in parodies, videos, illustrations, partnerships, products and a hit television series on Nickelodeon, Rabbids Invasion.

Rabbids® Invasion: The Interactive TV Show, available in November 2014, is based on the successful Rabbids Invasion TV series created by Ubisoft Motion Pictures and is broadcast in several territories including the US, UK, France and Germany. Launched in fall 2013, the hit TV show has already been viewed more than 280 million times worldwide. The video game enables kids to jump into a selection of 20 episodes of the popular TV show and participate in the action on-screen.

The Rabbids are a true pop culture phenomenon and these wacky creatures have no plans to stop their rampage any time soon. Specific details on retailers, pricing and availability for Rabbids-inspired products are listed below.

ABRAMS

ABRAMS is offering a standard-size full-color wall calendar that invites fans to spend the year laughing at antics and colorful images from their chaotic adventures. Available this August from online retailers, specialty retailers, and bookstores in the US and Canada, SRP $14.99.

Accessory Innovations

Accessory Innovations introduces their new line of Rabbids Invasion inspired lunchboxes, backpacks, wallets, belts, head gear, and other assorted accessories are available at Toys"R"Us. Accessory Innovations prides itself on creating accessories that offer style, and value for all price ranges. Both retailers and consumers appreciate the fine designer touches and attention to details, and trends and technology that are incorporated into the collections.

Bioworld

Bioworld, a leading design and distribution company of licensed and branded apparel, headwear, and accessories, brings the zany Rabbids to youth apparel. Styles available at major retailers including Target, Kohl's, Fred Meyer, Journeys, and Wal-mart.

Freeze

Freeze's Rabbids apparel includes adult and children T-shirts, fashion tops, hoodies, knits and separates and children's swimwear. Select apparel will be available at The Children's Place this summer.

McFarlane

McFarlane Toys, established by world-renowned artist and toy designer Todd McFarlane, has launched a hilarious line of Rabbids Invasion toys. The line includes plush, mini-figures, blind bags, sound and action toys and the "Top Summer Toy" award-winning whacky Rabbids Plunger-Blaster prank toy. Rabbids toys are available now at Walmart and Toys"R"Us and ranges in price from $2.99 to $19.99. Rabbids Toys images are available at: http://ftp.spawn.com/main.asp?dir=2014+PRODUCT+LIBRARY%2FKIDS+TELEVISION

Papercutz

Papercutz, the leading all-ages comics publisher will be producing a series of Rabbids graphic novels ranging in price from $7.99 to $12.99 and available at comic book stores, book stores and mass market outlets as well as Amazon, Barnesandnoble.com and wherever quality books are sold this fall.

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing is capturing the Rabbids' wacky antics with a full line of books including multiple chapter books, beginning readers and joke books in hardcover, paperback, and e-books. Hitting shelves this summer, Rabbids books will be available at Walmart and Target.

For more details on the Ubisoft licensed product lines, stop by the Ubisoft booth #B121 at Licensing Expo, June 17-19 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

For the latest on all of Ubisoft's games, please visit the UbiBlog: ubiblog.com

About McFarlane Toys

McFarlane Toys is the fifth largest action figure manufacturer in the United States. Established in 1994 the international award-winning company has expanded into licensed products to become one of the premiere action figure producers on the planet. www.mcfarlane.com/rabbidstoys

About Ubisoft

Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin's Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy's video game series, Rayman and Far Cry. The teams throughout Ubisoft's worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2013-14 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,007 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

© 2013 Ubisoft Entertainment. All rights reserved. Rabbids, Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Contacts
Ubisoft
Heather Pond, 415-547-4045
Corporate Communications Manager
[...]

###
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Friday, June 13, 2014

Nickelodeon Wins Big At PromaxBDA's 2014 Promotion, Marketing & Design North America Awards And Global Excellence Awards

PromaxBDA, the leading global association for marketing, promotion and design professionals in the entertainment industry, today, Friday 13th June 2014, announced the very exciting Nickelodeon News that Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids and families, won 15 awards at the 2014 Promotion, Marketing & Design North America Awards and six Global Excellence Awards! The awards were announced at "PromaxBDA: The Conference 2014", which recognizes the most creative and high-impact work produced in North America and throughout the world.

In PromaxBDA's 2014 Promotion, Marketing & Design North America Awards, Nickelodeon USA won the Gold and Silver 'Art Direction & Design: General Channel Image Campaign' awards for Nick USA's 2013 Halloween channel idents (station ID's) and 2013 'Knit' Holiday idents, respectively, and the Bronze 'Channel Holiday/Special Event Campaign' award for the networks 2013 Halloween idents in the 'Television - Video Presentation: Channel Promotion' category.

In the 'Television - Video Presentation: Content Promotion' awards category, Nickelodeon's "Kids' Choice Awards 2013" promotional campaign won the Bronze 'Live Event Campaign' award; Nick Jr. USA's 'Team Umizoomi Saves Gordon Ramsay' promotional spot and 'Bubble Guppies Pencil Case', a parody song based on Lady Gaga used to promote the premiere of "Bubble Guppies" season three, won the Gold and Bronze 'Children's Programming Spot Or Campaign' awards, respectively; Nickelodeon Preschools 'Team Umizoomi Saves Gordon Ramsay' promotional spot and 'Bubble Guppies Pencil Case', a parody song based on Lady Gaga, won the Gold and Bronze 'Children's Programming Spot Or Campaign' awards, respectively; Nickelodeon's 'Worldwide Day of Play 2013' campaign won the Bronze 'Public Service Announcement Campaign' award; Nickelodeon and 20th Century Fox's "Walking With Dinosaurs" "Dino Rap" Nickelodeon Orange Carpet special by "Haunted Hathaways" star Lil' P-Nut (Benjamin Flores, Jr.) won the Gold 'On-Air Consumer Tie-In/Brand Integrated Spot' award; the opening titles for Nickelodeon Preschools special "Dora the Explorer" episode "Dora in Wonderland" won the Silver 'Art Direction & Design: Program Open/Titles' award; and Nick Jr.'s 'Team Umizoomi Saves Gordon Ramsay' and 'Bubble Guppies Pencil Case' won the Silver and Bronze 'Daytime Program Spot Or Campaign' awards, respectively.

In the 'Television - Video Presentation: Special Categories' category, Nickelodeon's 'Bubble Guppies "Pencil Case"' trailer won the Gold 'Art Direction & Design: Music Video or Short Subject Video' award and Nickelodeon's web series "Republic City Hustle", a trilogy set three years prior to the events chronicled in "The Legend of Korra", won the Silver 'Art Direction & Design: Long Form/Webisode Or Viral Video' award.

In the 'Cross Media Promotion: Channel Promotion' category, Nickelodeon's 'Nickelodeon Knit Holiday IDs 2013' won the Gold 'Total Package Art Direction & Design: Channel Image - On-Air Only' award. Plus, in the 'Print' category, Nickelodeon's 'Kids Choice Awards 2013 Premium Items' won the Bronze 'Art Direction & Design: Promotional/Premium Item(s)' award.

In PromaxBDA's 2014 Promotion, Marketing & Design Global Excellence Awards, Nickelodeon Australia's 'Fanimals' campaign won Gold and Nickelodeon UK's 'Robot and Monster Song' trailer won Silver 'Children's Programming Spot Or Campaign' awards in the 'Television - Video Presentation: Content Promotion' category.

The 'Spaceship' episode of Nick Jr. UK's short-form series "Cardboard Box Adventures" won the Silver 'Art Direction & Design: interstitial/Short Form Spot' award.

Nickelodeon UK's 'Nick's Induction Video' won the Silver 'Marketing Video/Sizzle Reel/Presentation - Internal Use' award in the 'Television - Video Presentation: Cable, Satellite And Online Content Platforms' category.

Additionally, Nickelodeon Australia and New Zealand's 'Crack To School' campaign and 'Butts' Promo' won the Silver and Bronze 'Clip-Based Children's Programming Spot' awards, respectively, in the 'Television - Video Presentation: Content Promotion' category.

Congratulations Nickelodeon!!!


You can find a full list of PromaxBDA 2014 Promotion, Marketing & Design North America Awards and a full list of PromaxBDA 2014 Promotion, Marketing & Design Global Excellence Awards winners here on the official PromaxBDA website, promaxbda.org.

To celebrate Nickelodeon winning big at the PromaxBDA 2014 Promotion, Marketing & Design North America Awards and 2014 Global Excellence Awards, below are a selection of online streaming video clips featuring Nickelodeon's winning entry's! (If reading this post on the homepage, please click the 'Read More' link before to watch the videos.)

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Nickelodeon UK Unveils Spellbinding Official "Every Witch Way" Website

To celebrate and promote Nickelodeon UK and Ireland and Nickelodeon HD UK, the number one commercial kids TV network in the UK, starting to premiere and show Nickelodeon's brand-new spell-binding fantasy television series "Every Witch Way" daily at 5:30pm (repeated at 6:30pm on Nick +1) from Monday 14th July 2014, Nick.co.uk has unveiled Nick UK & Eire's all-new official "Every Witch Way" show website to accompany the brand new show, which you can visit here at nick.co.uk/everywitchway!


Nickelodeon UK's all-new EWW series webpage features a "Meet The Characters" section featuring bios of the students of Iridium High

Emma Alonso (Paola Andino), Maddie Van Pelt (Paris Smith), Daniel Miller (Nick Merico), Andi Cruz (Daniela Nieves), Tony Myers (Kendall Ryan Sanders), Diego Rueda (Tyler Alvarez), Mac Davis (Mavrick Moreno), Gigi Rueda (Miss Information; Zoey Burger), Sophie Johnson (Autumn Wendel), Katie Rice (Denisea Wilson), and siblings Tommy Miller (Jason Drucker), Melanie Miller (Jackie Frazey) and Robbie Miller (Louis Tomeo), also known as The Terrible Three - plus a photograph gallery featuring exclusive animated GIF's of scenes of the show, exclusive online streaming video clips, and a exclusive online game featuring the Ultimate "Every Witch Way" Quiz!

Catch Nickelodeon's spellbinding brand-new show, "Every Witch Way", weekdays at 5:30pm from Monday 14th July 2014, only on Nickelodeon UK and Ireland/HD!
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