NEWS
TOTAL LICENSING
HASBRO ANNOUNCES RAFT OF PUBLISHING DEALS
HPG, the licensing division of Hasbro, is set to unveil its global publishing program at The Bologna Children’s Book Fair
on April 24-27, 2007. HPG will highlight deals supporting key brands including Transformers, My Little Pony, Littlest
Pet Shop, Tonka and Action Man.
Since the re-launch of My Little Pony in Autumn 2003, more than 40 million ponies and more than 15 million books
have been sold. Publishing deals have been made with Bendon Publishing (North America), Publications International
(Worldwide), HarperCollins (North America), Reader’s Digest (North America), Hemma (France,
Spain), Modern Times (Greece), Edicart (Italy) and Egmont (Scandanavia).
The much anticipated live-action Transformers movie is scheduled for release on July 4, 2007 from
DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures. Publishing licensees signed include: Random House
(Worldwide), Hemma Editions (Worldwide), Dorling Kindersley (Worldwide), IDW (Worldwide), Pub-
lications International (Worldwide except Japan), HarperCollins (North America, United Kingdom,
Ireland), Reader’s Digest (North America w/Co-Edition Rights), New Links SRL (Switzerland, Italy),
PMI, Ltd. (Israel), Editorial Vertice SRL (Argentina, Chile, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay), Egmont International
Holdings (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden), Funtastic Limited (Australia, New Zealand), Grupo
Editorial Norma BVI (Latin America, Central America) and Grupo S.M. (Spain).
Littlest Pet Shop is more than 45 million pets strong within two years of its introduction worldwide.
It is the leading collectible doll in its category among tween girls with more than 300 unique pets
available to collect. Scholastic (North America), Bendon Publishing (North America), Hemma (France),
New Links (Italy) and Egmont (Scandanavia) are on board with publishing deals. Tonka will hit its 60-
year mark this Autumn and deals have recently been signed with Scholastic, Publications International,
Readers’ Digest and Modern Publications, all for North America. Action Man has also recently signed Mon Journal for
publishing in France, and Panini for the UK.
W!LDBRAIN & THE MAGIC STORE SIGN TO DISTRIBUTE
PRESCHOOL SERIES GLOBALLY
Award-winning entertainment company W!LDBRAIN and The Magic Store have announced that they have entered into
a world-wide strategic partnership with RDF Rights (RDFR) to distribute the half-hour children’s entertainment series
Yo Gabba Gabba! globally. RDFR, part of the RDF Media Group, has been signed as distributor of international television
and DVD rights as well as being appointed as international licensing and merchandising representative. This partnership
will bring to life the world of Yo Gabba Gabba! to children through products including books, home video/
DVD, CDs, furnishings, apparel and accessories. Produced by The Magic Store and W!LDBRAIN, Yo Gabba
Gabba! will commence production in April. The show, infused with a retro style and beat-driven music,
highlights simple life lessons and universal experiences in the lives of preschoolers. Yo Gabba Gabba! will
star Host DJ Lance Rock (Lance Robertson) and features animated segments, real kids and special guests
in addition to a world of puppet characters. The RDFR deal follows the news of W!LDBRAIN and The
Magic Store’s broadcast deal with Nick Jr. Twenty episodes of Yo Gabba Gabba! have already been picked-
up by Nick Jr. which has slated the live-action series to premiere in the US in Fall 2007.
RDFR will handle sales of all free-TV rights outside North America and all pay-TV sales and home video/
DVD rights outside of the US, UK, Ireland and Italy, where deals are in advanced negotiation. RDFR will
also manage licensing and merchandising rights for Yo Gabba Gabba! in categories such as apparel, home
furnishings, music and publishing rights outside of North America. The deal was brokered for RDFR by
Angus Fletcher of Snow River Media.
TOMY US NAMED MASTER TOY LICENSEE FOR
NINTENDO’S ANIMAL CROSSING: WILD WORLD
Tomy Corporation is bringing the videogame, Animal Crossing: Wild World, to life in 2007 with an extensive line of collectible
figures, houses, plushes, and accessories. Nintendo recently named Tomy Corporation as the master licensee for Animal Cross-
ing in the US. Universally lauded by critics, millions of people continue to play Animal Crossing years after they purchased the
interactive game because of its ever-changing, role-playing nature. In Animal Crossing: Wild World, consumers call the shots in a
completely unique place where days and seasons pass in real time. Own a home, work hard, cultivate friends and celebrate holi-
days year-round. The Animal Crossing videogame is available for Nintendo GameCube and Nintendo DS. Nearly 7 million units
of the DS version have sold worldwide since November 2004 and it remains a top seller. On December 16, 2006 the animated
Animal Crossing debuted in Japan and through January 9, 2007 had generated $14 million in box office receipts. Licensed
products tying into the movie release have notched more than $40 million at retail.
Tomy’s Animal Crossing collection will arrive at specialty retailers across the US beginning in July 2007.
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