Character Awarded Master Toy Licence

RNS Number : 9124B

Character Group PLC

28 February 2011

 



Issued by Citigate Dewe Rogerson, Birmingham

Date: Monday 28 February, 2011                                                    Embargoed 07.00hrs

The Character Group plc

Character picks up Third new License from HIT Entertainment

The principal trading subsidiary of The Character Group plc ('Character', 'Company' or 'Group'), Character Options Limited ('Character Options') has been appointed as the UK and Eire Master Toy Licensee by HIT Entertainment ('HIT'), one of the world's leading independent children's entertainment producers and rights owners, for its brand new property, 'Mike the Knight', which is set to premiere on CBeebies this Autumn.

This deal is the latest in a series of agreements between the two companies, with Character Options also holding the UK rights for HIT brands 'Bob the Builder' and 'Fireman Sam'.

Under the multi-year agreement, Character Options has obtained the rights to develop new products under the following categories: plastic (figurines and play-sets), plush, novelty, role play and games. The first line of products will be available in Autumn/Winter 2012.

Jon Diver, Joint Managing Director of Character, said:

"We are delighted to be working with HIT on one of their newest licenses. Through our existing relationship, we have already demonstrated our skills and expertise in producing innovative, value for money products that capture the imagination of children. This new project will allow us to continue to work with HIT and establish a new range that will have longevity, appeal and demand from both the market and consumer."

Jon Owen, Senior Vice President HIT Brands - Global, commented:

"Our involvement with Character has gone from strength to strength over the last 12 months and this latest deal marks an exciting new chapter in our relationship. Everyone at HIT is hugely excited about 'Mike the Knight' and, with Character now on board, we are confident that they will conjure up a spellbinding product range for this adventurous new series."

'Mike the Knight', co-produced with Corus Entertainment's Nelvana Studios is a computer generated image (CGI); the new 52 x 12' CGI series set to transport viewers back in time to an age filled with castles, quests and dragons.   Mike is a 10-year old boy with a big future ahead of him. The son of the King and Queen Glendragon he is determined to follow in his father's footsteps to become a brave and noble knight.  With the triumphant motto "Be a knight, do it right" the brave young charge is joined in his adventures by  a host of medieval characters including his trusty steed Galahad, two eccentric dragons Squirt and Sparkie and his sister Evie a trainee wizard.  

Enquiries:		Financial Media and IR
	Richard King, Chairman	Fiona Tooley	Russell Cook
	Kiran Shah, Group Finance Director & Joint MD Jon Diver, Joint Managing Director	Keith Gabriel	Carl Holmes
	The Character Group plc	Citigate Dewe Rogerson	Charles Stanley Securities
	Mobile: [phone] (RK)	Mobile: [phone] (FMT)	(Nominated Adviser)
	Mobile: [phone] (KS)	Tel: [phone]	Tel: [phone]
	Tel: [phone]

Notes to Editors

The Character Group is a designer, developer and international distributor of toys, games and giftware.

www.thecharacter.com

Ticker: AIM: CCT

Character Options is the principal trading subsidiary of The Character Group plc. The Company designs, develops, licenses and distributes children's toys both in the UK and Eire and internationally. Currently, the Character Group is stated to be the fourth largest toy distributor in the UK behind only Mattel, Hasbro and Lego in terms of UK sales.

The business wasfounded in 1991 and, in 2003, the Group made a strategic decision to increase the development of its own products. Today, around 70% of all products marketed by the Group are developed in-house. A major benefit of this strategy has been the opening of international markets, with Character's products now being sold in over 30 countries.

The Character Group operates mainly in the United Kingdom and China and has offices in Surrey, Oldham, Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China. It employs around 156 people worldwide.

For consumer or trade PR, please contact

Jerry Healy email: [e-mail]

Head of Marketing at Character Options on [phone]

Or

Michele Bates, Evolution PR

Tel: [phone] or 07725 616 059

[e-mail]

About HIT Entertainment

HIT Entertainment is one of the world's leading independent children's entertainment producers and rights-owners. HIT's portfolio includes properties, such as Barney™, Bob the Builder™, Thomas & Friends™, Pingu™, Fireman Sam™, Angelina Ballerina™ and Rainbow Magic™. HIT represents Chapman Entertainment's Fifi and the Flowertots™ and Roary the Racing Car™ in North America, as well as Wallace & Gromit™, Shaun the Sheep™, Timmy Time™ and Aardman Classics from Aardman Animations.  HIT also acts as representative for The Wiggles® in the UK. Launched in 1989, HIT's lines of business span television and video production, content distribution, publishing, consumer products licensing and live events and has operations in the UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan.  HIT is a part-owner of US-based preschool channel, PBS KIDS Sprout^SM.

For more information, visit www.hitentertainment.com.

For further information on HIT Entertainment, please contact:

Valerie Taylor for HIT Entertainment

Direct: [phone]

Email: [e-mail] 

Patricia Lodge at HIT Entertainment

Direct: [phone] / [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

 

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