The Global Licensing Group, organizers of Licensing Expo, has announced a continuation of its strategic partnership with Products of Change (POC), a global educational hub aimed at driving sustainable change across the consumer product markets and beyond.
Netflix and Dr. Seuss Enterprises have announced they will bring some of the most iconic and beloved stories and characters of Dr. Seuss to life with five new animated preschool series and specials. The projects are inspired by treasured stories like Horton Hears a Who!, The Sneetches, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, and Wacky Wednesday, in addition to lovable characters like Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose. Executive Producer Dustin Ferrer (Esme & Roy, Shimmer & Shine, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood) will serve as showrunner across all five, and additional showrunners will be revealed in the coming weeks. The announcement expands the partnership between Netflix and Dr. Seuss Enterprises even further, following the launch of the critically acclaimed animated series Green Eggs and Ham in 2019, which will have its anticipated second season premiere April 8, 2022.
Pisces USA, innovative world leaders dedicated to natural pet products, launch Pet Natural, plant powered botanical extract dog grooming range at Global Pet Expo. Pet Natural draws on the brilliance of Australian certified organic extracts to deliver advanced eco-conscious dog grooming products for the first time.
Paris-based children’s entertainment content distribution company Kids First has inked a raft of deals with international broadcasters for both season 1 (52 x 11’) and season 2 (52 x 11’) of hit animated series Nate is Late, produced by Watch Next Media and commissioned by France Télévisions (France), Super RTL (Germany) and Canal J (France). Kids First had sold Nate Is Late season 2 to leading Chinese SVOD platform Tencent, as well as streaming platform Kidoodle for North America.
Award-winning independent animation studio ZAG has partnered with Burger King on a global QSR promotion that features collectible premiums from the pop culture hit Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir with purchase of a King Jr. Meal. The announcement was made by Julian Zag, EVP, Global Operations and Head of Consumer Products, ZAG.
Magikbee and WildBrain have signed an agreement to license Seasons 9, 10, and 11 of Mattel’s classic Polly Pocket series for Magikbee’s kids’ streaming platform, KidsBeeTV. KidsBeeTV is a global brand with customers in more than 200 countries. In that sense, Polly Pocket is a key IP in the kids’ streaming app catalog, appealing to a large fan base around the world and resonating with both kids and their parents. The classic animated series, which originally premiered in 2010, is based on Mattel’s original micro-scale doll brand that first launched in 1989 and is well-known and much-loved. The classic Polly Pocket episodes are now available on KidsBeeTV.
Cra-Z-Art, a prime manufacturer in the U.S.A and leader in trendy toy, activity, art and school supply products, has teamed up with The Toy Foundation to aid children and families that have been directly impacted by the war in Ukraine.
ASTRA has announced it will host a trade show cruise and play date Feb. 20-24, 2023. Move over Love Boat, ‘cause here comes the ASTRA Toy Boat! Details will be shared soon including itinerary and pricing. The Association is excited to share this first-of-its-kind opportunity with the specialty toy industry and hopes families will come aboard to amplify the fun and reinforce the community aspect of ASTRA.