Entertainment Rights has announced that it has purchased the complete rights to the Filmation library from Hallmark Entertainment in a $20 million deal. The library includes more than 1,700 hours of programming, featuring HE-MAN AND MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, SHE-RA, GHOSTBUSTERS, MY FAVOURITE MARTIAN, THE LONE RANGER, THE ARCHIES, FAT ALBERT, SABRINA and BRAVESTAR.
"[The Filmation library] greatly enhances our content offering of wholly owned characters and brands and gives us a particular focus on the U.S. market place," said Mike Heap, Entertainment Rights ceo. "We have tracked this library for a number of years believing it to be one of the few remaining global libraries available and a unique opportunity for the Group to become a truly one-stop shop for childrens and family programming, characters and brands."
This announcement comes of the heals of Chorion earlier this year and its announcement that the company had a loss before tax of £417k for 2003, down from £1.14m the year before. The acquisition now makes Entertainment Rights one of the largest animation libraries in the U.K.