Here are Nickelodeon UK and Ireland's, Nickelodeon HD UK's, Nickelodeon +1's, Nicktoons UK and Ireland's, Nick Jr. Channel UK and Ireland's, and Nick Jr. 2's channel highlights and events for January 2013:
More of Nickelodeon UK's January 2013 schedule highlights and upcoming events will be posted in this NickALive! Nickelodeon UK blog post when they are announced. Latest Nickelodeon UK schedule news and updates will be posted towards the top on this blog post.
January may mean the Christmas holidays are over for another year, but January also means a brand new year, and to kick of the new year in style, Nickelodeon has a brand new show and brand new episodes, so be sure to add "Keep my TV tuned to Nick" to your New Year Resolution lists, PLUS, the countdown begins to Nickelodeon UK's 20th Birthday in September 2013!
New Years Day 2013 on Nickelodeon UK - Nickelodeon UK's "What's On" online schedule section on the official Nickelodeon UK and Ireland website, Nick.co.uk, has announced Nickelodeon UK's, Nicktoons, Nickelodeon HD UK's, Nick Jr. Channel's and Nick Jr. 2's New Years Day schedule highlights, which Nickelodeon UK will show on Tuesday 1st January 2013 as part of "Christmas On Nickelodeon UK 2012" to make sure everyone can celebrate the very first day of the brand new year in Nickelodeon Style!
Summer in January - The online television schedule website LocateTV has announced that Nickelodeon UK will start to repeat and show the original Nickelodeon UK television series "Summer in Transylvania" on Nickelodeon UK and Ireland and Nickelodeon HD UK weekdays at 2.30pm and 8.30pm (repeated one hour later at 3.30pm and 9.30pm on Nick UK's plus one (+1) timeshift channel Nick+1) from Monday 7th January 2013!
Brand New Show - "You Gotta See This": Nickelodeon UK and Ireland and Nickelodeon HD UK will premiere "You Gotta See This", a brand new Nickelodeon reality show presented by Nickelodeon Stars Noah Caleb Crawford and Chris Richard O'Neal (who portray the characters 'Nelson Baxter' and 'Kevin Reed', respectively, in the popular Nickelodeon comedy series "How To Rock") from Saturday 12th January 2013!.
Brand New Episodes - "Supah Ninjas": Nickelodeon UK will premiere and show brand new episodes of Nickelodeon's original action-comedy series "Supah Ninjas" on Nickelodeon UK and Ireland and Nickelodeon HD UK in January 2013!
New Episodes Of Supah Ninjas, Including From Season Two!: The Nickelodeon UK fanblog NickUKHub is reporting the Nickelodeon UK News that, according to the online Nickelodeon UK and Ireland television schedule on the British and Irish TV guide website Digiguide, Nickelodeon UK will premiere and show the season one finale episode of Nickelodeon's original action-comedy series "Supah Ninjas", titled "Cousin Connor", on Nickelodeon UK and Ireland and Nickelodeon HD UK on Monday 21st January 2013, as part of "January on Nick UK 2013"! The Nickelodeon UK & ROI fanblog NickUKHub and the "List of Supah Ninjas episodes" page on Wikipedia is also reporting that Nick UK and Ireland have already started to premiere episodes from the all-new second season (season 2) of "Supah Ninjas", ahead of every other country, with their latest batch of brand new season one episodes!
New Alien Surf Girls:
Nickelodeon UK has announced the Nickelodeon UK News in their new "Brand new Alien Surf Girls" teaser promo/trailer that Nick UK will start to premiere and show the five remaining brand new episodes from season one of the brand new Australian live action television series "Alien Surf Girls" (also known as "Lightning Point") on Nickelodeon UK and Ireland and Nickelodeon HD UK from Monday 28th January 2013 (transmission (TX) time to be announced by Nick UK & Eire), as part of "January on Nickelodeon UK 2013" and "February on Nickelodeon UK 2013"!
Ready Brek's "Super Smooth Guarantee" Ad Campaign On Nick UK: Campaign, the UK's leading weekly magazine for the advertising industry, is reporting in an article on their official website, campaignlive.co.uk, the Nickelodeon UK news that the food processing company Weetabix Ltd., (also known as the Weetabix Food Company) has partnered with Nickelodeon UK for Ready Brek's brand new "The Ready Brek super smooth guarantee" advertising campaign. As part of the deal, the official Nickelodeon UK website, nick.co.uk, will host a special "The Ready Brek super smooth guarantee" website will allow everyone to punish Ready Brek staff and to "watch, win & laugh" the forfeits for their chance to win a brand new iPad Mini. As part of Ready Brek's "super smooth guarantee" campaign, the London, UK-based creative company 101 has designed and created the following 30 second TV spot which will run and be shown on British television channels.
Nickelodeon On BT Vision: The British multinational telecommunications services company BT Group plc, also known as BT (British Telecom), has announced in the following press release, from from the official BT plc website, btplc.com, the Nickelodeon UK News that their subscription digital TV service, BT Vision has partnered with Viacom International Media Networks to bring VIMN's leading TV entertainment channels Nickelodeon UK, MTV UK and Comedy Central UK and Nickelodeon to BT Vision’s fast-growing line-up of linear channels. Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and MTV will be streamed, with some programs available on-demand from early 2013. BT have also announced that Nick UK's popular preschool channel, Nick Jr. UK, will also be joining BT Vision's channel line-up later this year!
New Looks Nicktoons Website: To celebrate the start of a brand new year, Nickelodeon UK and Ireland have redesigned and relaunched their official NickToons UK and Ireland website, NickToons.co.uk!
'Team Umizoomi Premiere Week': Nick Jr. UK and Ireland has announced the Nick Jr. News in their new 'Team Umizoomi Premiere Week' promo/trailer which Nick Junior UK is currently airing (transcript below) that Nickelodeon UK and Ireland's preschool channel, Nick Jr. UK and Ireland, will be premiering and showing brand new episodes of Nickelodeon Preschools' popular CGI-animated (animated using computer-generated imagery) educational, musical preschool television series "Team Umizoomi" as part of a special "Team Umizoomi" Premiere Week programming stunt in January 2013 (transmission (TX) dates and times to be announced by Nick Jr. UK), as part of "January on Nick Jr. UK 2013"!
New Pocoyo!: Nick Jr. UK and Ireland has announced the Nick Jr. News in their new "Hooray For Pocoyo" promo/trailer which Nick Junior UK is currently broadcasting on-air that Nickelodeon UK and Ireland's preschool channel, Nick Jr. UK and Ireland, will start to premiere and show brand new episodes of the popular animated preschool show "Pocoyo" from Monday 14th January 2013 (transmission (TX) time to be announced by Nick Jr. UK), as part of "January on Nick Jr. UK 2013"!
New Look Nick Jr. UK!: Nickelodeon UK and Ireland's preschool brand, Nick Jr. UK and Ireland, the UK's most popular commercial preschool brand, has today (Monday 7th January 2013) launched their brand new channel rebrand, which features a brand new look, which includes brand new on-air presentation (Nick Jr. idents (station ID's), promo endboards and channel bumpers), and a brand new network strapline across their preschool channels, Nick Jr., Nick Jr.+ 1 and Nick Jr. 2, as part of "2013 on Nick Jr. UK". The launch of Nick Jr. UK's 'Everyday’s an Adventure' will be supported with a marketing and PR campaign, which will launch in early spring and run across the year; NickJr.co.uk also updated to new design.
New "Kung Fu Panda: Legends": Nickelodeon UK has announced the Nickelodeon UK News in a brand new promo/trailer (high quality (HQ) high definition (HD) online streaming video clip below) called "Kung Fu Panda Style", which is a parody of the music video for "Gangnam Style" by South Korean rapper PSY, that Nickelodeon UK and Ireland's animation channel, NickToons UK and Ireland, will premiere and show brand new episode of the popular animated Nickelodeon series (Nicktoon) "Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness" in January 2013 as part of "January on Nicktoons UK 2013" and as part of Nickelodeon UK's Winter 2013 highlights!
New "The Magic Roundabout" Episodes: Nick Jr. UK and Ireland has announced the Nick Jr. News in a brand new promo/trailer that Nick Junior UK will start to premiere and show brand new episodes of the CGI-animated preschool show "The Magic Roundabout", which is based on the classic children's television series of the same name, on Nickelodeon UK and Ireland's second preschool channel, Nick Jr. 2, from Monday 7th January 2013 at 8.30am and 8.45am, as part of "January on Nick Jr. 2 2013".
New Supah Ninjas Episodes: The Nickelodeon UK fanblog NickUKHub is reporting that Nick UK has announced the Nickelodeon News in their latest brand new 'Nickelodeon Presents Brand New Butt-Kicking Episodes of Supah Ninjas' promo that Nickelodeon UK will start to premiere and show brand new episodes of Nickelodeon's original action-comedy series "Supah Ninjas" on Nickelodeon UK and Ireland and Nickelodeon HD UK daily at 4.00pm (repeated one-hour later at 5.00pm on Nick UK's plus-one timeshift channel, Nickelodeon +1) from Monday 7th January 2013, a few days earlier than previously announced in Nick UK's previous 'New Episodes Of Supah Ninjas' trailer, as part of "January on Nickelodeon UK 2013"!
New Show - "Huntik: Secrets & Seekers": Nickelodeon UK and Ireland has announced the Nickelodeon UK News in NickToons UK's "What's On" schedule section on the official Nickelodeon UK and Ireland website, Nick.co.uk, that Nickelodeon UK and Ireland's animation/action channel, NickToons UK and Ireland, will start to premiere and show the brand new Italian animated action series created and directed by Iginio Straffi, the creator of the popular animated Nickelodeon series "Winx Club", called "Huntik: Secrets & Seekers" every Saturday and Sunday (weekends) at 8.00am from Saturday 12th January 2013, as part of NickToons UK's Winter 2012/2013 highlights and "2013 on NickToons UK"!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Nickelodeon Issues Statement Insisting Their "SpongeBob SquarePants"-Themed "SpongeBob Diner Dash" iOS Game App Is Safe To Use And Doesn't Collect Kids' Data!
The official PC Magazine website, pcmag.com, is reporting the Nickelodeon News that, after Nickelodeon decided to remove the "SpongeBob SquarePants" based "SpongeBob Diner Dash" iOS game app, made by mobile game-maker/developer PlayFirst, from Apple's iTunes app store after a US advocacy group called Center for Digital Democracy contacted the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Nickelodeon has released a statement insisting and confirming that their "SpongeBob Diner Dash" app doesn't collect information from children inappropriately:
Nickelodeon: SpongeBob App Safe, Does Not Collect Kids' Data
Nickelodeon said today that its SpongeBob Diner Dash app did not collect personally identifiable information about its users, and is therefore not in violation of a federal law meant to prevent the unauthorized collection of data about kids.
"After an initial investigation and thorough review of our SpongeBob Diner Dash mobile application, we can confirm that no names, email addresses or other personally identifiable information were collected, and, therefore, we believe that no violation of COPPA occurred," a spokesman said in a statement.
Nickelodeon removed the SpongeBob Diner Dash app from the App Store earlier this week after the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission that accused Nickelodeon and developer PlayFirst of deceptive marketing and violations of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
COPPA bans online services from collecting information from children under the age of 13 without parental consent. CDD said that the SpongeBob Diner Dash game "asks children to provide a wide range of personal information, including full name, email address, and other online contact information, without providing notice to parents or obtaining prior parental consent." The app also does not adequately explain what information is collected, CDD said.
According to Nickelodeon, however, "the optional email prompt to receive a newsletter was a template function from the developer that was never operational in this app, and no email addresses or personally identifiable information were collected."
The app does ask players to supply a name, which can be used to chart progress. Nickelodeon said the names are stored locally on the device and are not captured or sent to any server, in compliance with COPPA. The company said that on-screen alerts about the app's new levels or features are within the current COPPA guidelines.
"Nickelodeon has long prided itself as being a leader in COPPA compliance, and we are looking forward to maintaining that leadership position in the industry as the FTC unveils its updated guidelines," the company concluded.
As of Wednesday afternoon, SpongeBob Diner Dash had not returned to the App Store, but a spokesman said it must go through Apple's App Store approval process again. Those who previously downloaded the app should still be able to play.
Nickelodeon's statement, meanwhile, comes the same day that the FTC unveiled updates to COPPA intended to bring it in line with 2012 digital realities. The law was originally crafted in 1998 - before Facebook, smartphones, and Twitter - and the agency has been working since 2010 to modernize it.
Earlier this month, meanwhile, the FTC released a report that found app makers are failing to provide parents with adequate information about how their apps collect and distribute information about children. Mobile apps are siphoning an "alarming" amount of data about kids without disclosure, the FTC said last week.
Video Game Company THQ Files For Bankruptcy, Goes Up For Sale
According to the the following article from The Hollywood Reporter, the video game maker THQ, who publishes video games based on popular Nickelodeon properties, such as the hit Nickelodeon original animated series (Nicktoon) "SpongeBob SquarePants", with Nickelodeon's video game arm, "Nick Games", has filed for bankruptcy and has been put up for sale by the companies owners. The World Internet TV on PC blog is reporting in a separate post (also below) that THQ has reassured "South Park" fans that their upcoming video game title based on the popular "Comedy Central" animated series of the same name, titled "South Park: The Stick of Truth", will be unaffected by their announcement:
Video Game Company THQ Files for Bankruptcy, Up for SaleAlso, from World Internet TV on PC (blog):
"Employees will continue to work their usual schedules and receive normal compensation," the company says.
THQ Inc., a video game company that licenses several of Hollywood's TV and movie properties, filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday and said it will sell its business.
Wednesday's revelation sent THQ's stock 74 percent lower on volume that was 10 times its norm. By the end of trading, shares had fallen $1.02 to just 36 cents each.
The company said it has taken a "stalking horse" bid of $60 million from Clearlake Capital Group in hopes it will attract higher bids.
It also said it has secured $37.5 million in financing from Wells Fargo and Clearlake and that it will keep its business running, including the development of new games.
Some of the company's games are based on franchises like Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants, Disney's Princesses, NBC's The Biggest Loser and game shows like Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!.
"Consumers and retailers should see no changes while the company completes a sale," THQ said Wednesday. "The new financing will support business operations throughout the period. THQ does not intend to reduce its workforce as a result of the filing, and employees will continue to work their usual schedules and receive normal compensation and benefits, pending customary court approval."
THQ File Bankrupcy But Assure Games Including South Park Still On Track
High-profile video game developers THQ yesterday revealed that they have filed for ’chapter 11 bankruptcy’ following long-term financial difficulties, but have assured that despite the setback, all company assets are being sold to an un-named investor, and will still release their roster of upcoming games as planned.
The company assets, set to be sold in principle for an estimated $60m ($10m going to THQ’s creditors) via Clearlake Capital Group, have safeguarded the future of their four in-house development studios (Relic, THQ Montreal, Vigil, and Volition), along with all games in development or being published by THQ, including action/first-person shooter Metro: Last Night and animated comedy tie-in RPG title South Park: The Stick of Truth.
To ensure the business running over smoothly in their self-described ‘new start’, THQ have requested to the bankrupcy courts that their auction process ends after 30 days if they have not found a better offer, and have noted that there will be no lay-offs for employees or any delays in their development schedules.
THQ’s CEO Brian Farrell said of the future plans for the publishers, and of how there will be no noticeable difference in the company from a consumer perspective: “The sale and filing are necessary next steps to complete THQ's transformation and position the company for the future, as we remain confident in our existing pipeline of games, the strength of our studios and THQ’s deep bench of talent. We are grateful to our outstanding team of employees, partners and suppliers who have worked with us through this transition. We are pleased to have attracted a strong financial partner for our business, and we hope to complete the sale swiftly to make the process as seamless as possible.”
The ‘business as usual’ mantra appears to have been applied on the same day, as representatives of the company’s European marketing division announced their plans to continue promoting the South Park game in a typically ‘controversial’ manner, with marketing director Jon Rooke stating: “It would be pretty difficult to market and PR a game like South Park without being irreverent, shocking and disruptive. After all that is the nature of the show. It is also a key pillar of the South Park brand’s marketing success to take relevant news stories and give them the South Park treatment – the opener to the VGAs, where Cartman beats the living snot out of Bilbo Baggins is just one example of how we are following that marketing execution into the video game campaign as well. The perception is that a lot of licensed games are poor or lazy. With The Stick of Truth and the deep level of involvement we have from Matt [Stone] and Trey [Parker, South Park creators], not only is this an authentic interpretation of the licence but it is also a quality game in its own right.”
While an edgy advertising campaign (as seen by the two trailers below alongside the VGA show-opening ’hobbit assault’) will see the Obsidian-developed game predictably not as standard industry fare, the main question remaining is what the release date attached to the end of the trailers will be, with a fully-confirmed day not yet announced, ranging from the end of April-start of May period, to the originally-planned 5 March date currently being announced by video game stores such as Gamestop.
While that particular title is expected to arrive at least within the next 6 months, will THQ manage to utilise their new-found financial support to see their slate of games make it to publication?
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Online Designer Fashion Boutique Jones And Jones Enjoys A Massive Media Boost With The Help From Nickelodeon And "House Of Anubis" Star Ana Mulvoy-Ten
Below is a Jones and Jones Fashion Press Release which mentions Nickelodeon Star and "House of Anubis" actress Ana Mulvoy-Ten, who portrays the character 'Amber Millington' on the hit Nickelodeon original mystery series, from PressPort.co.uk (press release):
The Rise & Rise Of Jones + Jones
Online Designer Fashion Boutique Enjoys Massive Media Boost
They say there’s no better publicity like bad publicity, but in the case of online fashion house Jones + Jones you simply can’t beat some good old fashioned media exposure.
Take September gone.
jones + jones dresses were featured on no less than five occasions in the Press and on TV: actress and Strictly Come Dancing contestant Dani Harmer wore a black Poppy Dress for the Inside Soap Awards; actress Rebecca Ferdinando was spotted at the ‘Fearless At The Ivy’ party during London Fashion Week in a black sequin Nicky Dress; the star of Nickelodeon’s ‘House of Anubis,’ Ana Mulvoy-Ten, attended the Nylon party in a black Laura Dress; TV presenter AJ Odudu wore a cream Vicky Dress to interview stars on the red carpet at the GQ Awards; and last but not least there were no less than seven lovely ladies in Audrey and Poppy dresses during an episode of BBC 3’s ‘Don’t Tell The Bride.’
In fact the recent high profile of the online fashion house stretches back to September 2011, with the going out dresses of jones + jones featuring no less than 56 times in the British media.
The secret of its success, says Paul Preston, is that jones + jones is a fashion forward brand, with a strong ethos that is edgy, directional, strong, feminine.
“It's a feminine, sexy, inspired mix of design from the 40’s and 50’s jet set with its own quirky, modern twist and a great mix of fabrics and tailoring,” says Paul. “The dresses are designed by the Jones sisters, one loving the street trends of London and the other the opulence of the South of France.”
All garments are designed and produced in their own studios in the UK, allowing the latest trends to appear as if by magic overnight.
Much influenced by the overall style of the 1940s and 1950s, the women’s dresses of jones + jones really reach new heights in terms of design, creativity, style and innovation, with a big nod of course to Coco Chanel and the little black dress of the 1920s.
The dress pictured is a Nina Black Sequin Dressin 100% polyester retailing at £75.00 and is a perfect example of the classic little black dress that is fast making jones + jones a hot name and much sought after garment for women and celebrities in the entertainment industry.
http://www.jonesandjonesfashion.com/categories/Backless-Dresses/
About jones + jones:
jones + jones is a fashion forward brand comprising a feminine, sexy, inspired mix of design from the 40’s and 50’s jet set with its own quirky, modern twist and a great mix of fabrics and tailoring.
The dresses are designed by the jones sisters, one loving the street trends of London and the other the opulence of the South of France.
All garments are designed and produced in their own studios in the UK, allowing the latest trends to appear as if by magic overnight.
For more information, please contact
Jones and Jones Fashion
Webmaster Paul Preston
www.jonesandjonesfashion.com/categories/Dresses
Phone n/a
Email.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
BBC Worldwide And Ragdoll Productions Seeking A New Home For The Preschool Series "Teletubbies"; Nickelodeon's Jules Borkent Talks About The Children's Television Market
In the following article from Bloomberg, Jules Borkent, the senior vice president of global acquisitions and international programming for Viacom's children's channel Nickelodeon talks about the kids television market and Nickelodeon's hit animated original series (Nicktoon) "SpongeBob SquarePants":
Teletubbies Seek New Owner as BBC Worldwide Sells Venture
The Teletubbies, the toddler-sized creatures with antennas on their heads, are following Barney and Peter Rabbit down the path to new ownership as the British Broadcasting Corp.’s commercial arm cashes in on a burgeoning children’s market.
BBC Worldwide and Ragdoll Productions decided to sell their joint venture that owns the rights to the Teletubbies and pre- school shows such as “In the Night Garden” and “The Adventures of Abney & Teal,” the broadcaster told Bloomberg News.
The Teletubbies aired on the BBC in 1997 and have since been shown in 120 countries and in 45 different languages. Photographer: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images
Entertainment companies Mattel Inc. (MAT) and Viacom Inc. (VIAB) have purchased children characters such as Thomas the Tank Engine and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Teenage in recent years to tap demand for globally known brands, especially in markets such as China and Brazil. Kids’ characters are attractive assets because they generate a new audience every few years, can be easily dubbed and provide lucrative ancillary sales from licensing and merchandising.
“The pre-school market is a new market every three to four years and that audience is a very loyal audience,” said Darren Throop, chief executive officer at Entertainment One Ltd. (ETO), which owns the rights to Peppa Pig, one of the most popular pre-school characters. “These brands transact quickly because people understand there is a long tail on the revenue side of merchandising.”
Mickey Mouse
Though Throop has no plans to seek buyers for Peppa, he said he bid for some characters that were for sale in recent years, declining to identify the targets.
Lunchboxes, sleeping bags and stuffed animals bearing the characters’ images provide revenue to the owner for years. Mickey Mouse, the cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney, remains one of the most popular children’s characters.
“With children’s programs, you’re buying into the brand franchise,” said Nigel Pickard, the U.K. head of Zodiak Kids, the children’s content arm of producer Zodiak Media. “The TV show is at the front but it’s everything that follows that gives it a long-standing shelf life.”
The Teletubbies, four oddball characters known as Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po, aired on the BBC in 1997 and have since been shown in 120 countries and in 45 different languages.
“We have taken the decision with Ragdoll to seek a buyer for our successful joint venture we established in 2006,” Marcus Arthur, managing director for BBC Worldwide’s global brands unit, said in an e-mail. The British broadcaster is seeking someone for the joint venture “to invest in and grow the business,” he said.
Merchandising Potential
DC Advisory Partners, which last year sold the rights to characters including Peter Rabbit, Mr. Men and Paddington Bear for entertainment company Chorion Ltd., is handling the sale for the BBC.
The BBC is one of largest platforms for kids content in the U.K. with its television channel CBeebies targeting pre-school children and its CBBC channel focussing on older ones. Ragdoll will continue in the children’s business by developing new content.
“The Teletubbies changed everything about the way people thought about preschool,” said Pickard. “It’s a heritage brand. I think they are no longer at their peak but clearly in TV licensing they are relicensed and they do drive ancillary revenue for merchandising.”
Brand Power
Mattel’s purchase of Hit Entertainment Ltd. last year illustrates the power of a brand’s licensing and merchandising potential, as the world largest toy company paid $680 million to add characters including Thomas the Tank Engine, Bob the Builder and Barney.
Spending on products targeting kids aged up to 4 years has soared in emerging markets. In Brazil, it surged by 28 percent to $528 million between 2008 and 2011, and by 46 percent to $867 million in China, according to researcher Euromonitor International. In the U.K., that figure rose 3.2 percent to $892 million, while it was little changed at $3.3 billion in the U.S.
“The important part now is having the intellectual property of a brand,” said Sander Schwartz, president of kids and family entertainment at FremantleMedia, the production arm of Europe’s biggest broadcaster RTL Group SA. (RTL) “TV is never going to be anymore the principle source of income.”
FremantleMedia’s kids division, whose roster includes shows such as “Ella the Elephant” and “My Babysitter’s a Vampire,” earns a large portion of revenue from distribution of such properties.
Italian Franchise
“Nothing repeats or travels better than children’s shows,” said Schwartz. “They have a very long life and nothing has a longer tail for ancillary revenue.”
Aside from merchandising and TV rights, children drag their parents in droves to the cinema for the latest screenings, which is something Viacom is betting will happen with its expected 2014 release of the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Viacom bought the franchise in 2009 for $60 million.
Viacom last year also acquired a minority stake in Rainbow Group, the creator of the popular “Winx Club” Italian TV franchise. In August, DHX Media (DHX) of Canada bought peer Cookie Jar Entertainment, which owns rights including Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake and Inspector Gadget for $111 million to create the country’s largest children's entertainment company.
Declining Prices
The prices for some kids’ content have fallen as more programs and characters flood the market, said Jules Borkent, senior vice president of global acquisitions and international programming at Viacom’s children’s channel Nickelodeon.
Viacom's most popular brand is SpongeBob, which is seen in more than 170 countries on Nickelodeon. SpongeBob to date has generated more than $12 billion in retail sales, according to the company, and the character has more than 37 million fans on Facebook Inc. (FB)’s website.
While Nickelodeon is pitched about 500 pieces of content a year, the station will only sign a handful, Borkent said. “We’re going into companies much earlier as kids are watching more now with iPads, computer and there are bigger audiences.”
As more companies try to break into the children market, it’s key to secure the lucrative global brands, said Stewart Clarke, an editorial director at researcher Informa Telecoms & Media.
“It’s an unbelievably cluttered children’s market,” he said. “But when you get a SpongeBob you are sitting on a billion-dollar property and assets you can sweat for years.”
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