'Madagascar 3' Is Top Weekend Film on Sales of $60.3 MillionYou can read Bloomberg's full USA And Canadian Box Offices Charts report here on the official Bloomberg website, Bloomberg.com.
DreamWorks Animation SKG (DWA)’s “Madagascar 3” opened as the top film at U.S. and Canadian box offices with $60.3 million in sales, edging out “Prometheus,” a science-fiction thriller from Ridley Scott.
"Prometheus," from News Corp. (NWSA)’s Twentieth Century Fox, the weekend’s only other new film in wide release, had $51.1 million in ticket sales, researcher Hollywood.com Box-Office said today in an e-mailed statement.
“Madagascar 3” sales beat the $53.8 million estimate of Box Office Mojo although revenue was less than the $63.1 million opening of “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa,” released in 2008. The animated 3-D movie received a marketing boost from a popular Nickelodeon TV show based on the penguin characters and ads featuring Chris Rock as a zebra performing a circus tune, Ben Carlson, co-founder of the research firm Fizziology, said in a June 7 interview. The film has little competition for family audiences until Disney (DIS)’s “Brave” on June 22.
“It’s a very solid opening and I expect this to play well over the next several weeks as most of DreamWorks films usually do,” said Paul Sweeney, a media and entertainment analyst for Bloomberg Industries. “You usually find animated movies do well when the kids are out of school, so they can go again and again and again.”
As of June 7, Los Angeles-based Fox ranked sixth in 2012 revenue with $419.1 million in domestic ticket sales. Walt Disney Co. was first with $780.5 million.
Detour to France
In "Madagascar 3," featuring the voices of Ben Stiller, Rock and Jada Pinkett-Smith, Alex the lion and his citified animal friends leave Africa to return to their home in New York’s Central Park Zoo. During a detour to France, they join a circus to escape the clutches of a relentless animal control officer.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Nickelodeon USA Airing "The Penguins Of Madagascar" Helps The Brand New DreamWorks Animation SKG Movie "Madagascar 3" Top The USA And Canadian Box Offices Charts
From Bloomberg:
Nickelodeon Boy Band 'Big Time Rush' Samples Blur's "Song 2" For Their New Summer Anthem Song "Windows Down"
From Examiner.com:
Big Time Rush samples Blur for new summer anthem
Big Time Rush at the 2012 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards. Photo credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Big Time Rush is hoping to make their mark on the music industry with their new summertime song, “Windows Down,” the song made it's world premiere on Cambio last night. The potential hit song sample's Blur's “Song 2” and band member Kendall Schmidt thinks it's a song that will appeal to people of all ages. “I'm 21 years old and I would blast this thing day in and day out,” Kendall tells Celebuzz.
FIRST LISTEN: "Windows Down" - Big Time Rush
With fellow boy bands like One Direction and The Wanted topping the charts and being all the rage right now, Big Time Rush is ready to make a name for themselves in the mainstream music scene. From the moment the song starts you can tell this isn't your typical boy band from back in the day. The rock beat and fast pace lyrics give it a club vibe that's sure to have your speakers cranked up and 'windows down' when you're driving.
Big Time Rush made up Carlos Pena, James Maslow, Kendall Schmidt, and Logan Henderson have been on the music scene since 2009 but haven’t been making as much noise as their UK counterparts. Although they have been very consistent in terms of growing in popularity and sales. Their previous singles "Boyfriend" and "Music Sounds Better With U" both reached the Mediabase Airplay Chart top 30 with MSBWU going into the top 20. They have over one million sales digitally, a gold record in the U.S. and Mexico, and have performed the National Anthem on a NFL Thanksgiving game.
In addition, the boys recently completed their first headlining tour, The Better With U Tour, which featured a nearly sold out show at 1st Bank Center in Broomfield. And they're prepping for an even bigger summer tour, The Big Time Summer Tour, which features over 50 cities in the U.S. and Canada, unfortunately Denver isn’t one of those cities.
“Windows Down” hits iTunes and other digital retailers on June 25. What do you think of Big Time Rush's newest song?
Ella's Kitchen Has Been Cooking On All Cylinders
From City A.M.:
Ella's Kitchen has been cooking on all cylindersAlso, from The Star:
Philip Salter speaks with the man behind an innovative baby and toddler food company
Philip Salter
ANY parent fighting against the near-impossible battle to keep their toddler's diet healthy will have heard of Ella’s Kitchen. Gracing the shelves of the nation’s supermarkets, Paul Lindley's gastronomic creations are a contemporary take on uniform baby food and a healthy alternative to sweets for snacking kids.
Lindley claims the success of Ella’s Kitchen is built upon three pillars. Firstly, as a former deputy managing director of Nickelodeon, he is able to take a child's perspective: “Although the parents buy the food, it's the children that spit it out,” he says. Ella’s Kitchen – named after his daughter, through whom he saw a gap in the market – tries to make healthy food fun. The second pillar is the company’s challenging and innovative approach, exemplified in the original pouch packaging (which was swiftly copied by rivals). Despite the copying, the third pillar gives his business legs on the competition. Because Ella’s Kitchen is built around a real family – Ella's face adorns the marketing – the brand is trusted. He explains that in the past baby food was packaged and marketed in a unvarying style to exemplify safety. He noticed that the world had moved on and there was a gap in the market for a premium-brand children's food that broke the mould.
Lindley’s first career was as a KPMG accountant. As such, when starting out he could get to grips with the financial side of running a business with relative ease. He knew that “growing too fast can be dangerous because you can easily run out of cash.” He says besides having a really bad idea, the greatest cause of failure is being unable to manage the cash cycle. Ella’s Kitchen has grown at breakneck speed, so Lindley has used invoice financing to keep it cash rich.
The big break for Lindley came in getting his products into supermarkets, but he admits “it’s very difficult to meet the right person and getting your foot in the door requires tenacity.” Once you get that meeting, he advises that in the hour you have to pitch your idea “make sure they remember you”. He ponders on the fact that if he hadn’t been successful at this, Ella’s Kitchen would not be here today.
As well as taking UK supermarkets by storm, Ella’s Kitchen has an international presence: Sweden; Norway; the Baltic region; the US; Australia; the Middle East. Lindley thinks “people around the world are more similar than they are different”, so sees no reason this international growth needs to slow. His aim is for Ella’s Kitchen to become “the first global premium-brand children’s food.”
Ella’s Kitchen wasn’t Lindley’s first idea for a business, but he certainly chose the right one in which to invest his time and money. Plenty of people are tempted to start a business based on experiences in their daily lives; few remortgage their home, as Lindley did, and actually do it. He was driven by the thought of his future self looking back and regretting the decision not to take the risk. For Lindley there was no choice: failure appeared better than not trying. Now that’s certainly food for thought.
CV PAUL LINDLEY
Company name: Ella's Kitchen
Company turnover: £44m
Job title: Founder, CEO and Ella’s Dad
Age: 45
Born: Sheffield
Lives: Reading, Berkshire
Studied: Economics and Politics, University of Bristol
Drinking: Can’t beat a good red wine
Motto: “Learn from the past, plan for the future, but always live for today.”
Heroes: Robert Kennedy and Nelson Mandela
Awards: 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year, National Business Awards. 2011 Business Person of the Year, Oxfordshire Business Awards. Entrepreneur of the Year for the South, EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, 2010 Food & Drink Brand of the Year, Grocer Gold Awards, 2011 International Business of the Year, Growing Business Awards. And on Wednesday, finalist for the Exporter of the Year, Grocer Gold Award (fingers crossed).
First ambition: To farm coffee in Africa
Baby food founder joins MADE panel
Entrepreneur Paul Lindley is to return to his home city of Sheffield as a special guest panellist at MADE, the city’s entrepreneur festival, which takes place next month.
The founder of baby-food business Ella’s Kitchen was born in Sheffield and lived in the city until he was eight, before moving to Zambia.
Returning to Britain, he qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG before spending nine years at children’s TV channel Nickelodeon, where he become communications director and general manager.
He started Ella’s Kitchen after spotting a gap in the market for healthy food for young children.
Last year, families spent more than £50 million on Ella’s Kitchen products.
The company’s success secured Mr Lindley the Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the National Business Awards and led to him being selected as one of the Department for Business’s inspiring entrepreneurs in the Business In You campaign to encourage more people to become entrepreneurs.
Mr Lindley said: “It’s always great to return to Sheffield, but more so for something as exciting as MADE.
“I was fortunate enough to be part of last year’s festival and there was a fantastic atmosphere, a true celebration of entrepreneurialism. I’m yet again looking forward to meeting new people, gaining some new inspiration and hopefully doing a little inspiring myself.”
Other speakers at this year’s MADE Festival include Kanya King, founder of Europe’s largest urban music awards show.
He is joined by entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den judge Peter Jones and Wayne Hemmingway, founder of the fashion chain Red or Dead.
For information or to attend the festival visit the Sheffield City Hall website www.sheffieldcityhall.co.uk or call 0114 2 789 789.
Window Shopping - With Digital Properties Emerging As Key Drivers, What Role Do Linear Broadcast Windows Still Play For Children's Brands?
From C21Media:
Window shopping
Licensing and merchandising is a US$180bn industry, as delegates at this week’s Licensing Expo in Las Vegas know too well. But with digital properties emerging as key drivers, what role do linear broadcast windows still play for brands? Jesse Whittock reports.
Something's going on in the licensing and merchandising (L&M) business that television companies need to get a handle on quickly. In the past, a TV window was the one constant requirement for successful children’s retail brands – but this is changing fast.
The global media landscape is evolving out of all recognition, and the transformation is unlikely to stop soon. We’re currently in the tablet era and before that it was the smartphone, preceded by online and web platforms, and so on. Suffice to say, companies are now developing new IP away from the television screen, and more of it.
Furthermore, the global economy has also changed, directly impacting TV. When broadcast licence fees went down in line with the global downturn of 2008/9 rights negotiations got much fiercer. Television companies still want in on the L&M revenues but IP owners aren’t necessarily happily to bend to their will just to get a brand on the air anymore. There are different routes to market in today’s multimedia world.
It’s easy to see why licensing remains such an enticing market. According to the Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA), the L&M industry is worth at least US$180bn. This is despite a weakened US economy leading to falling retail revenues. Developed territories that are growing, like the UK, and emerging economies such as Russia and India have levelled out the dips in the US, LIMA research shows. Significantly, digital revenue is also growing as online worlds emerge and app download figures and tablet sales rocket.
“Where digital is changing things is in allowing kids, teens and tweens to find characters in so many other ways and on so many other platforms apart from the TV,” says California-based SMC Entertainment’s senior VP of licensing Lisa Streff.
One-year-old SMC has fingers in both pies. It closed a deal worth a possible US$50m with India’s DQ Entertainment to represent the 3D re-working of The Jungle Book in North America and also owns L&M rights to the H2O: Just Add Water and Dance Academy brands. However, it is also close to acquiring its first non-TV property, saying only that it is “based on a very popular girls 2-5 publishing programme.”
SMC's acquisitions suggest there’s still plenty of demand for top TV content, and The Jim Henson Company’s senior VP of global consumer products Melissa Segal agrees. “It’s still a very enticing proposition if you’re able to get your property on a strong broadcaster with a strong series,” she says.
But she adds: “I wouldn’t say digital entertainment is replacing television but it has given the marketplace opportunities that aren’t so dependent on the old model.”
The Jim Henson Company is currently launching two new non-TV brands: skater lifestyle franchise Skatelab and Psyclops, a property born out of a mobile app that allows users to create their own animation and music videos for their iPods.
Henson will next look at launching webisodes to grow the latter brand’s exposure. “Things can work both ways. There are some really successful apps that are acting as the IP for the brand and are the entertainment element. Angry Birds was the first one to do it but Cut The Rope and Fruit Ninja are similar. If you have 20 million downloads, that’s just as relevant as anything else,” says Segal.
“Digital can’t replace a TV show but a digital strategy is incredibly important,” adds SMC’s Streff. “We’ve hired a dedicated head of interactive and digital because it’s so important. The reality is kids are still watching TV shows, but there are so many other platforms and that strategy has been in place at the start.”
L&M has indeed welcomed digital platforms with open arms. For example, social gaming has emerged as a key form of content for children above preschool age. Aggressive Facebook app companies such as Zynga are snapping up IP as their profits swell in proportion to this growth. Mind Candy, the UK company behind the Moshi Monsters online franchise, is said to be worth more than US$200m without so much as a Christmas special having aired on TV.
“The interesting thing is digital opens up an alternative to television when it comes to reaching kids’ eyeballs,” says Amelia Johnson, co-founder of another children’s virtual world, Binweevils.com, which allows users to create their own avatars. “With Binweevils.com, those eyeballs were even more engaged because of its social world nature; it’s far more immersive and interactive.
“The internet is now reaching as many eyeballs and is as widespread as television viewing. You’ve suddenly got this new medium that’s not TV, not film and not books, through which you’re reaching kids in a different way.”
Binweevils.com launched out of web shorts on Nickelodeon, which still retains a stake in the firm. In March, it reached two million unique users – a “breakthrough metric,” according to Johnson. “In terms of engagement, we’re up to 24 to 26 minutes per user on average. Growth in the past 18 months has been around 120% – pretty phenomenal.”
The virtual world medium leads when it comes to formats such as trading cards, thanks to the “flexibility of the characters” and the “environment kids really relate to,” she adds.
But broadcasters and TV-focused firms are naturally keen to play up their value to the food chain. “Having a TV window is still perceived to be really, really important for starting to expand a brand into books, DVDs or toys. There are always exceptions, like The Annoying Orange or Angry Birds, but these prove the rule,” says Sandy Wax, president of US preschool cablenet Sprout.
Hit Entertainment’s Edward Catchpole, senior VP of Hit Brands, adds: “In preschool, to build a major brand you need relevant, compelling content that captivates and entertains children. TV is still the main platform for children to access this content, but publishing is also key and digital is growing quickly.”
Indeed, there’s no getting away from the fact digital trends are sweeping through the L&M industry. Animated web series have been the launch pads for consumer product and plush toy lines, for example. As Classic Media’s executive VP of global marketing Nicole Blake says: “Now properties from mobile and digital spaces are cracking into consumer products, which means there is more competition. The truth is there isn’t just one route to market anymore.”
Michel Zgarka, CEO of Canada-based kids’ firm Les Gummybear Productions, which has clocked up more than two billion YouTube hits through its animated Gummybear (Gummibar) videos, has based his firm’s entire business model on that very mantra.
“As soon as Gummybear became a brand on YouTube, they created two dedicated channels and we started getting calls from all types of companies. Merchandising became an automatic element in our worldwide marketing strategy. We have quite a few licences in negotiation but have actually signed about eight or 10,” he says.
Meanwhile, Zodiak Rights has snapped up master licensee rights to another YouTube phenomenon, UK-produced shortform series Simon’s Cat, which is also a newspaper comic strip. “Online and digitally, we have revenue streams through our YouTube channels, website and apps,” says the property’s brand manager Mike Cook. “Plus, we have major UK licensing deals through Zodiak and have a great selection of partners in other territories, including Germany, Italy and Russia, and a direct online shop.”
The publishing and licensing industries are generally “quite conservative, and sometimes saying you don’t already have major TV platforms or a catalogue of 22-minute episodes can prove challenging,” says Cook. “However, with Simon’s Cat we have grown and developed organically and are now at over 243 million YouTube views with only 30 minutes of animated film content.”
This comes as debate around YouTube as a distribution platform intensifies, with the Google-owned video site set to launch its 100-channel professional content drive in the US while a similar initiative is underway in Europe.
“Whether YouTube distribution can be a viable business model depends largely on your content’s production and marketing costs. If you have a popular show or programming that is quick and cheap to produce, then monetising it through a portal like YouTube from an ad perspective could work very well for you,” says Cook.
New monetisation models are also emerging and leading the way down untrodden paths. LA-based IP manager and licensor Evolution Management Group has acquired rights to new girls-skewing property Taffy Saltwater. The firm is planning a TV series but only after both production and toy partners – and by extension rights agreements – have been lined up.
Bundling toy licensing at the pre-production stage alleviates risk for a broadcast partner and “also guarantees there is revenue downstream,” says Travis Rutherford, CEO and founder of Evolution. “Everything is subject to what the property is and how you approach negotiation. We put ourselves in a stronger position by having a strategic plan and having the pieces already in place to monetise the property.”
With broadcasters increasingly keen on back-end shares and rights, L&M firms and IP rights groups have to be flexible and willing to co-own content, says Rutherford. But the broadcaster has to play ball too, as licensing firms will “weigh up” where their content is on the channel’s priority list. “You have to ask, ‘Does my property have weight against their own IP, and how much attention will their consumer products division give it in comparison with my resources as a smaller company with less IP in the mix?’”
In the US, Evolution manages preschool brand Pocoyo, which was recently picked up for broadcast by Nick Jr. Maria Dolan, MD of brands for Pocoyo's Spain-based producer Zinkia Entertainment, says the franchise could not have grown to its current stature without a TV window. “The financing model follows a natural flow of investing what it costs to make high-end animation. Not relying on the TV platform would be kind of crazy, as we see a direct and positive reflection from it in the purchase of consumer goods. Once the show moves around in a programming schedule we see the effect immediately.”
Dolan says television will be an important aspect of brands – especially in preschool – for “at least the next 10 years,” and notes: “However far we move away from the traditional platform into the digital space, TV is our core.”
Classic Media’s Blake adds: “TV will always be a key element of consumer products. It’s not the only route but it is always going to be important and probably the main driver for consumer products, especially for preschool and boys’ action, and for a new property.”
Heritage brands remain another healthy space for children’s licensing, something New York-based Classic – which owns brands as varied as Noddy, The Lone Ranger and Postman Pat – is all too aware of. Indeed, the entire business model relies on this fact.
“Classic properties have been very popular over the past couple of years because they’re tried and true and retailers have been testing new properties less. This plays well into our core franchises’ hands,” says Blake.
The relevance of TV windows depends on the demographic, she adds. Older children, such as tweens and teens, react better to feature films or digital platforms, whereas preschoolers need an animated series to connect with characters. “We have properties that were built on TV and properties that were built on books, toys, video games and comics. Each started uniquely and for each property we look at where it’s been and how it got there, and then decide where we want it to go next,” she says.
Classic’s ongoing reinvention of 1980s and ‘90s book series Where’s Wally? (aka Where’s Waldo?) is linked to its play pattern: search and find. “It’s a literary property in its heritage and we wanted to focus on that and reinvigorate the book side as a base for children today. We also thought the ultimate translation of Where’s Wally?, looking at the play pattern in his books, was the digital world. So it’s a book property supplemented by digital,” says Blake.
Conversely, reimagining Postman Pat, with its strong television heritage, required a new season (airing on BBC diginet CBeebies in 2013) and an accompanying movie, she adds.
Bin Weevils Top Trumps Specials card game
Hit’s Catchpole agrees brands are different depending on their audience. “For preschool properties, TV is key if one wants a major brand. Digital is a component and growing. For older children, brands can be launched and developed on just a digital platform,” he says.
Hit hired Catchpole when it came under the control of toy company Mattel in February, to oversee classic franchises such as Thomas the Tank Engine and new ones like Mike the Knight, which has clocked up an impressive 30 licences since its launch in October last year. Last month, a toy range based on the brand was launched.
The fact a toy firm paid £426m (US$682m) for Hit demonstrates that TV-led brands still have a lot going for them. It’s an outlook shared by RTL-owned FremantleMedia, which recently launched L&M programmes for kids’ TV franchises Tree Fu Tom, Monsuno and Max Steel.
“Brand awareness and consumer loyalty are still key drivers in any successful L&M campaign,” says David Luner, executive VP of consumer products, interactive and mobile for the firm’s brand extension arm FremantleMedia Enterprises.
That said, Luner also subscribes to a familiar school of thought. “As the media, content and entertainment landscape continues to change, those key foundations can be built in number of new and exciting ways. Although television remains a high-profile and extremely attractive brand-launch platform, other content and entertainment options, like gaming, social platforms and digital content syndication, will continue to grow audiences and launch brands with loyal and engaged consumers.”
Noddy’s place in Toytown is assured, and digital brands like Moshi Monsters have unpacked their bags for good. Children’s TV needs to work hard to keep its shop open for business too.
Jesse Whittock
12-06-2012
©C21Media
TAGS: Angry Birds, Binweevils, L&M, Licensing Expo, LIMA, The Annoying Orange, Where’s Waldo?, Where’s Wally?
GENRES: Children's
SHOWS: Dance Academy, Gummybear, H2O: Just Add Water, Max Steel, Monsuno, Moshi Monsters, Nicole Blake, Pocoyo, Simon’s Cat, The Jungle Book, Tree Fu Tom
PEOPLE: David Luner, Edward Catchpole, Lisa Streff, Maria Dolan, Melissa Segal, Michel Zgarka, Mike Cook, Sandy Wax, Travis Rutherford
COMPANIES: Classic, Classic Media, DQ Entertainment, Evolution, Evolution Management Group, FremantleMedia Enterprises, Hit Brands, Les Gummybear Productions, Mattel, Mind Candy, The Jim Henson Company, Zinkia Entertainment, Zodiak Rights, Zynga
SECTIONS: C21 Kids
COUNTRIES: Germany, India, Italy, Russia, UK, US
Nickelodeon USA To Premiere Brand New "Power Rangers Megaforce" In 2013; UK's Channel 5 Picks Up Rights To "Power Rangers Samurai" And "Power Rangers Super Samurai"
From C21Media:
Power Rangers unveil Megaforce, C5 dealAlso, from Kidscreen:
Saban Brands has revealed the latest chapter of the Power Rangers franchise, titled Megaforce, and sold another two seasons from the brand to UK terrestrial Channel 5 (C5).
Power Rangers Megaforce
Power Rangers Megaforce is lined up to premiere on Nickelodeon in the US next year on the 20th anniversary on the brand’s birth. It will introduce a new plot based around a supernatural protector of Earth.
Meanwhile, C5 has acquired Megaforce's predecessors, Power Rangers Samurai and Power Rangers Super Samurai. Both seasons will premiere later this summer on the channels’ boys-skewed weekend block.
The seasons’ distributor, MarVista Entertainment, has recently closed deals with Spanish children’s channel Boing, Venezuela's Venevision, Chile’s Mega and Indian Nick affiliate channel Sonic. Broadcasters in Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy and Mexico also run them.
Nick debuted Power Rangers Super Samurai in the US and YTV in Canada in February.
Jesse Whittock
12-06-2012
©C21Media
GENRES: Children's, Live-action
SHOWS: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Megaforce, Power Rangers Samurai, Power Rangers Super Samurai
COMPANIES: Boing, Channel 5, Marvista Entertainment, Mega, Saban Brands, Sonic, Venevision
SECTIONS: C21 Kids
COUNTRIES: Australia, Canada, Chile, India, Italy, Latin America, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, UK, US, Venezuela
Channel 5 picks up Power Rangers SamuraiAlso, from Licensing.biz:
L.A.-based MarVista Entertainment, the exclusive international distributor for Saban Brands' Power Rangers franchise, has licensed Power Rangers Samurai and Power Rangers Super Samurai to the UK's Channel 5. Episodes of both half-hour seasons will premiere later this summer in the channel’s new weekend animation block for boys.
Recently announced new international broadcast partners for Power Rangers Samurai, include Spain’s 24-hour kids channel Boing, Venezuela’s Venevision, Chile’s Mega and Sonic, part of the Nickelodeon platform in India. These international partners join existing International partners, including Nickelodeon (multiple territories), Channel 9 (Australia), TV4 (New Zealand), Canal J and Gulli (France), Mediaset’s Italia 1 and Boing (Italy) and Televisa (Mexico). In total, Power Rangers Samurai reaches more than 150 territories across the globe.
Saban Brands plans to support the Channel 5 UK market launch with character appearances, retail promotions and advertising.
Tags: Channel 5, MarVista Entertainment, Power Rangers Samurai, Saban Brands
Channel 5 gains Power Rangers broadcasting rights
Saban Brands’ Power Rangers Samurai and Super Samurai will premiere on the channel this summer.
The UK’s Channel 5 has acquired the licence to air both Power Rangers Samurai and Power Rangers Super Samurai.
The deal was struck by Channel 5 and producer and distributor MarVist Entertainment, which is the exclusive distributor for Saban Brands’ popular boys franchise Power Rangers.
“The latest instalment of the Power Rangers franchise: Samurai and Super Samurai are fun, action-packed programming that will appeal to young boys,” said Channel 5’s head of acquisitions Katie Keenan. “It’s a great addition to our new weekend animation block.”
MarVista Entertainment’s CEO Fernando Szew added: “Saban Brands’ Power Rangers franchise continues to deliver top ratings to broadcasters around the world and to engage a new generation of viewers.
“Each new installment, be it Power Rangers Samurai or Power Rangers Super Samurai, upholds the high-level of action, humour, colorful characters and captivating stories that franchise fans have come to expect, and are supported by Saban Brands' stellar global licensing and merchandising programs.”
Channel 5 joins other international broadcast partners for Power Rangers Samurai, including Spain’s 24-hour kids channel Boing, Venezuela’s Venevision, Chile’s Mega, and Sonic, which is part of the Nickelodeon platform in India.
Others include Nickelodeon for multiple territories, Channel 9 in Australia, TV4 in New Zealand, Canal J and Gulli in France, Mediaset’s Italia 1 and Boing in Italy and Televisa in Mexico.
Power Rangers Samurai reaches over 150 territories across the globe. The property is currently the No.1 kids action series on Nickelodeon in the US.
Nicktoons UK Launches Brand New "Furious Friday" Programming Block And Competition
According to Nickelodeon UK's brand new "Furious Friday's" promo/trailer (below with transcript), Friday's throughout June and July 2012 are going to get Furious on Nickelodeon UK and Ireland's animation channel, NickToons UK and Ireland, as Nickelodeon UK launches a brand new Nicktoons's programming stunt and programming block called "Furious Friday"!
From Friday 15th June 2012, Nicktoons will be devoting every Friday evening between 5.00pm and 8.00pm for six weeks to some of Nickelodeon's most action packed shows - "SpongeBob SquarePants", "Supah Ninjas", "Power Rangers Samurai", and "Kung Fu Panda: Legends Of Awesomeness".
Plus, every Friday during "Furious Friday's", Nicktoons will be giving lucky "Furious Friday" fans and Nicktoons viewers the chance to win some great prizes by unveiling a unique code they will be able to enter on Nickelodeon UK's official Nicktoons website at Nicktoons.co.uk.
Kung Fu Fury is about to be unleashed, as Nicktoons unites a line-up of lethal legends!Below is more information about Nickelodeon UK's brand new Nicktoons' programming block and programming stunt from the official Nickelodeon UK and Ireland's websites' brand new official "Furious Friday" website, Nick.co.uk/shows/furiousfridays, where you'll also be able to enter Nicktoons' exclusive "Furious Fridays" competitions from 15/6/2012 at 5pm:
[Po The Panda: Let's do this!]
Kicking of with NinjaBob Karate Pants, then it's a Power Half Hour of Panda, followed by the Power Rangers Samurai, and the Supah Ninjas!
Plus, catch the [Watch & Win] weekly codeword and you could win at Nicktoons.co.uk.
Furious Friday, Fridays from 5 till 8, on Nicktoons!
Furious FridayAlso, Tweeted (posted) by Nickelodeon UK and Ireland on their official Twitter profile page (@NickelodeonUK):
Coming Soon!
Competition Starts Next Week!
Hey, Furious Fans!
The Furious Friday competition officially opens on Friday 15th June at 5.00pm. In the meantime, check out the awesome prizes that one lucky entrant could win each week.
WEEK ONE
A Toshiba 19" LCD TV with DVD combo
Kung Fu Panda 1 & 2 Boxset and the SpongeBob SquarePants Movie DVD
WEEK TWO
An Apple iPod Shuffle 2Gb
SpongeBob Headphones
WEEK THREE
A Nintendo 3DS console
SpongeBob SquigglePants game for Nintendo 3DS
SpongeBob 3DS Travel Kit
WEEK FOUR
A Nintendo Wii Console
Power Rangers Samurai game for Nintendo Wii
WEEK FIVE
Sony Digital DSC Camera
Power Rangers Megablox Set
WEEK SIX
ViewSonic 10" Tablet
SpongeBob Backpack
Get Furious and remember to enter the competition next Friday! The competition will run for 6 weeks with a different set of prizes each week.
Terms and conditions apply.
Check out your fave action stars with episodes every Furious Friday & win prizes here! :) http://ow.ly/bKMi7.