Kratt Brothers Company and 9 Story Media Group expand ‘Wild Kratts’ licensing program to include Halloween costumes, cake toppers and games and puzzles, with new products expected to hit shelves in the fall of this year.
TORONTO -- Kratt Brothers Company and 9 Story Media Group have announced expansion of their Wild Kratts licensing program as the animated television series achieves all time ratings highs. New licensees include In Character (Halloween costumes), Decopac (cake toppers) and Pressman (games and puzzles.) New products are expected to hit shelves in the fall of this year.
Master toy licensee Wicked Cool Toys launched a broad toy offering at Toys “R” Us last year which included creature power suits, action figures, talking plush and vehicle sets. Due to strong performance, new items including the Tortuga Playset, have been developed, and the line will be rolling out at Kmart and select Target stores this fall.
Random House Kids released the first Wild Kratts books in the U.S. and Canada as part of the publisher’s Step Into Reading Program. Sales of the book exceeded expectations, and as a result, it went into a second printing within the first few weeks on sale and a vastly expanded book line is in production.
The brand’s popularity in Germany has led to a new deal with publisher Panini, set to launch a new Wild Kratts magazine in July. DVDs continue to exceed expectations in the territory with Edel Germany launching volumes 13 & 14 this summer.
Now in its fourth season, Wild Kratts is the top kids shows in the U.S., holding the #1 spot for Kids 4-8. Wild Kratts premiered on PBS KIDS in the U.S. in 2011 and on TVO, Knowledge Network and Télé-Quebec in Canada. A co-production between Kratt Brothers Company and 9 Story Media Group, Wild Kratts is distributed in the U.S. and Canada by Kratt Brothers Company and internationally by 9 Story Media Group. The series was created and developed by real life brothers and zoologists, Martin and Chris Kratt who star in the show as animated versions of themselves. The fourth season includes 26 episodes, which will begin rolling out in the U.S. on PBS KIDS in late 2015. Wild Kratts airs weekdays on PBS stations nationwide in the U.S. (check local listings).
The series also has tremendous global reach, airing in over 180 countries across 18 different languages. Broadcast partners include Discovery Kids (Latin America and Asia), Super RTL (Germany), TV3 (Spain), Canal Panda (Spain), RTE (Ireland), VRT (Belgium), Minimax (Eastern Europe), Media Corp PTD Ltd. (Singapore), Primetime (Colombia), Minika (Turkey), E Junior (UAE) and Al Jazeera Children’s Channel (Middle East).
Source: 9 Story Media Group
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
