Thursday, June 14, 2012

Mattel's Fisher-Price Brand To Start To Release "Mike the Knight" Merchandise Worldwide (Excluding UK And Japan) From Fall (Autumn) 2012

From Kidscreen:
Fisher-Price Mike the Knight toys to roll out this fall


HIT Entertainment is finalizing plans with Fisher-Price to market and manufacture a global master toy range for Mike the Knight (excluding the UK and Japan).

The toy line will be based on the CG-animated series Mike the Knight co-produced by HIT Entertainment and Toronto, Canada-based Nelvana.

Mike the Knight currently airs on major broadcast platforms in the US (Nickelodeon and Nick Jr.), Canada (Treehouse), UK (Cbeebies), Australia (ABC) and France (TF1), and is slated to launch in more than 20 additional territories in the coming months.  

Fisher-Price, Mattel's largest brand, plans to develop, manufacture and market a variety of toys and role play items for boys and girls ages two and up across several categories including role play, playsets, plush, figures and preschool toys. The first items are scheduled to launch in the US and Canada in Fall 2013. Fisher-Price and HIT plan to debut the Mike the Knight line at retailers in the rest of the world (excluding the UK and Japan) starting in 2014.

Nelvana Enterprises represents the series in broadcast and home entertainment in Canada and France as well as broadcast in the US and Latin America, while HIT Entertainment represents Mike the Knight in all other territories globally.

Tags: Fisher-Price, HIT Entertainment, Mike the Knight, Nelvana
Also, from Toy News:
Fisher-Price gets Mike the Knight master toy deal

First lines to arrive in autumn 2013; deal excludes the UK and Japan.

Mattel has announced a licensing agreement for Fisher-Price to make a range of toys based on Hit Entertainment's Mike the Knight.

As master toy licensee, Fisher-Price will make and market aline-up of role play, play-sets, plush, figures and pre-school toys.

The first items are scheduled to launch in the US and Canada in autumn 2013. Fisher-Price and HIT plan to debut the Mike the Knight line at retailers in the rest of the world (excluding the UK and Japan) in 2014.

“Following a successful broadcast premiere around the world, we are thrilled to launch Mike the Knight toys with Fisher-Price next year for our newest member of the HIT portfolio,” said Pam Westman HIT Entertainment's regional head for the Americas.

“Mike the Knight has captured the imaginations of boys and girls alike with its enriching story lines about missions, castles, dragons and adventures, and Fisher-Price’s expertise in creating high quality toys will enhance the Mike the Knight play experience for children around the world. The toys are the cornerstone of a wide global consumer products range for Mike and his friends in the land of Glendragon.”

EVP of Fisher-Price Brands at Mattel, David Allmark, said: “We have great enthusiasm for the Mike the Knight property and are excited to introduce the first toys to the character’s growing fan base. The series will come to life in a charming line-up, aided by some ingenious little surprises that we’ll reveal during Toy Fair 2013.”

A co-production between Hit Entertainment and Nelvana, Mike the Knight currently airs on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr in the US, Treehouse in Canada, Cbeebies in UK, ABC in Australia and TF1 in France, and is set to launch in more than 20 more territories in the coming months.