Zinkia Signs New U.S. Licenses for <em>Pocoyo</em>

Press release from Zinkia Entertainment:

Madrid, Spain -- Zinkia Entertainment, brand creator and producer of the hit global multiplatform brand Pocoyo, has recently signed a roster of new licensing partners in the U.S., negotiated by the Company’s North American licensing agent, Evolution.

Building upon the more than 200 licensing partners Pocoyo has worldwide, Evolution has negotiated new licensing agreements for Pocoyo on behalf of Zinkia. Online Pocoyo party goods and accessories will soon be available through Buy Seasons; Pocoyo balloons are being developed for the global marketplace with Pioneer Balloon Company; Pocoyo toddler bedding and cuddle pillows with Baby Boom Consumer Products and Pocoyo costume character events with JCP Live Productions.  

The new licensees join the Pocoyo brand’s recent addition of key partners, also negotiated by Evolution, including, Bentex Group Inc. (master apparel) and LeapFrog for Pocoyo content on the LeapPad Explorer and Leapster Explorer tablets. Bandai America Incorporated continues to serve as the master toy partner, Random House Children’s Books as the publishing partner, NCircle Entertainment as the home entertainment partner, which recently renewed its agreement for five more years, and TCG (formerly The Canadian Group) for puzzles and games.  New Pocoyo branded merchandise confirmed to begin launching at retail in summer 2012 through 2013 includes a series of books from Random House, apparel from Bentex, party goods from Buy Seasons and new DVD titles from NCircle.  Additionally in spring 2013, Zinkia will introduce a new Pocoyo “circus” theme, which will be incorporated across select product lines.

“The Pocoyo brand combines so many engaging elements – adventure, imagination, learning, social values – it opens the door to a wealth of relevant and organic licensing opportunities,” said Travis J. Rutherford, President Licensing & Retail, Evolution.  “We want to ensure that all products developed in association with the Pocoyo brand share our commitment to quality and convey the fun and enjoyment that is uniquely inherent in this brand.”

“Evolution has really examined the Pocoyo brand and understands Zinkia Entertainment’s long term aspirations for the property,” said Maria Doolan, Managing Director of Brand and Business Development for Zinkia Entertainment.  “They make it their mission to deliver well-suited licensing partners that respect our goals and will augment the reach and life of the Pocoyo brand without compromising its value or integrity.”

Zinkia Entertainment’s Pocoyo is recognized as a global hit brand.  The award-winning animated series first launched in 2005 across all media platforms simultaneously and in a multitude of languages.  Pocoyo now airs in over 150 markets around the world with new partners joining, such as Nick Jr. U.K., and established partners continuing to renew like in the U.S., where the series has aired continually on Nick Jr., Univision’s Planeta U and select PBS Kids stations since its debut in 2010.

Pocoyo continues to grow significantly in the digital arena.  The Pocoyo YouTube Channel receives over 50 million hits per month on average and has accumulated over 950 million hits to date and is on target to hit a billion by summer 2012!  Pocoyo also has over 850,000 Facebook friends and is on track to reach one million in the next few months; the online virtual world, www.pocoyoworld.com [1], has attracted more than 2.5 million unique visitors, and the Pocoyo app, Pocoyize, which allows users to create their own Pocoyo-style avatar, has proven a huge hit both online and via iPhone® with approximately 14 million people Pocoyized to date. And the official Pocoyo website, www.pocoyo.com [2], has amassed more than 27.5 million content downloads.