Space Enterprises – licensing agent for top pre-school property The Hive – has announced that Mookie Toys has been appointed as master toy licensee across several major territories.
Press Release from Space Enterprises
Space Enterprises – licensing agent for top pre-school property The Hive – has announced that Mookie Toys has been appointed as master toy licensee across several major territories.
The Hive is a new CGI series from The Hive Enterprises Ltd, produced by Monumental Productions, Lupus Films and DQ Entertainment, and comprises 26 x commercial half hour (78 seven-minute) episodes, which follow the fortunes of the happy, friendly and extremely cute Bee family, who live together in Honeybee Hive. Storylines explore the themes of family, working together to solve problems, being part of a diverse community, and caring for the environment.
The show has proved a huge ratings success on ITV in the UK and globally on Disney Junior. The Walt Disney Company EMEA has picked up the show in over 150 countries and in the last three months The Hive has been the best performing acquisition on Disney Junior – reaching 3m viewers aged 4 and over – after it started airing in a number of territories, with Poland, Hungary, Romania and South Africa performing very strongly. The latest BARB figures (w/e: 20th Nov) had the show at #1 and #2 in the Top Ten on the channel. The Hive is also enjoying huge popularity in Australia - broadcaster ABC is reporting impressive ratings and Magma DVD had to delay the Australian home entertainment release until this month due to the increased demand for stock.
Mookie Toys already has a stake in The Hive licensing programme through a plush license and the new master toy agreement will see the company producing a variety of toys for UK/Eire, Australia/NZ, and South Africa. This adds to an impressive list of licensees that includes Jupiter Toys for wooden toys and furniture, EMI Publishing, Moonpig, Blues Clothing, and Aykroyds TDP. A major retail launch is set for Spring/Summer 2012 that will incorporate an initial DVD release through ITV DVD.
Mark Hurry, Director of Licensing at Space, said: "We are delighted to be extending our relationship with Mookie Toys - one of our key commercial partners for The Hive. Mookie are already aware of the strength and popularity of The Hive through the existing plush deal and this new agreement represents an appreciation of the brand’s huge global popularity and ongoing licensing potential.”
About Space Enterprises Ltd
Space Enterprises represent The Hive as global licensing agent. Space also represent a number of high value properties with global appeal, such as evergreen comedy favourite Monty Python, which has an ever growing stable of fans after proving a massive hit on YouTube. Also on the Space books are Little Britain and Come Fly With Me, the new show from the Walliams/Lucas partnership that debuted on BBC1 last Christmas. Space also look after Pinky and Perky, the madcap kids’ show that has been a huge hit in the UK since launching in 2008 and is now being broadcast across the world. Space also hold the global M&L rights to Spamalot. Most recently Space have landed the global representation rights to all products created by AppToyz.
About Mookie Toys:
Established in 1987, Mookie Toys is an outdoor toy manufacturer & distributor, supplying all major accounts in the UK and internationally. Known in the industry for innovation, development and manufacturing of its own brands such as Swingball and Tailball, Mookie also manages and distributes products (on both an exclusive and non-exclusive basis) in the UK for a wide variety of outdoor, nursery, licensed, plush and wheeled toys from global manufacturers including Funtastic, Ecoiffier, Moose Mountain, Unice, Androni, Toymonster and SmartTrike, from its HQ and warehouse in Bedfordshire.
Please see our websites www.mookie-toys.co.uk, www.swingball.co.uk and www.tailball.co.uk
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
