Entertainment media company Entertainment Rights' internationally successful pre-school series POSTMAN PAT has launched on China's national television network, China Central Television (CCTV). ER also announces a number of key international broadcast agreements for the brand new series -- POSTMAN PAT: SPECIAL DELIVERY SERVICE (SDS).
With more than 16 individual channels, CCTV is China's dominant broadcast platform and its dedicated children's channel launched POSTMAN PAT on July 7. As a result more than 200 million Chinese children will get a chance to join Pat on his rounds in Greendale for the very first time through the 106 episodes CCTV has acquired.
As part of ER's plans to grow and develop the POSTMAN PAT brand in China, it also announced that it has secured leading DVD distributor YiZhouRen as DVD partner for the brand in Chinese speaking territories. U Young, China's largest operator in children's media and CCTV's advertising agency is acting as ER's exclusive licensing agent for the region. ER is currently in discussions with two major publishing partners to be finalized in Q3 2008, with consumer products set to roll out in 2009.
As the POSTMAN PAT brand continues its global success, brand new BBC commission POSTMAN PAT: SPECIAL DELIVERY SERVICE (SDS) which was unveiled at MIPTV earlier this year and is due to air on CBeebies this autumn, is generating significant interest in the international market and deals have been secured with major broadcasters.
The new series sees Postman Pat promoted to Head of Special Delivery Service and outfitted with a host of new and exciting vehicles, locations and supporting characters. Newly signed key deals include ABC (Australia), DRTV (Denmark), TV4 (Sweden), Rai Sat (Italy) MNET (South Africa), MBC (Middle East), ATV (Hong Kong) and True Vision (Thailand). SF Norge (Nordics) and Lusamondo (Portugal) have also come on board as DVD partners for the region.
POSTMAN PAT: SPECIAL DELIVERY SERVICE has now been sold to over 110 territories worldwide. The show is set to premiere on CBeebies in the autumn and is anticipated to bring in strong ratings for the channel. A new POSTMAN PAT SDS DVD will hit shops later in the year, followed by a nationwide toy launch at retail in early 2009.
