The two-year digital publishing licensing agreement will start with narrated storybooks featuring characters from "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "Dora the Explorer", such as SpongeBob's "Big Win" and Dora's "Easter Basket", which will become available on the free-to-download children's ebook app this month (August 2014). The titles will be made available for free to subscribers, or they can be purchased individually.
The new partnership expands iStoryTime's offerings to 250 titles, including books featuring characters from DreamWorks Animation, Sony, PBS, Nick Jr. UK's "Tickety Toc", and Nick Junior's "Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!".
Original Nickelodeon and Cupcake Digital, Inc. Press Release:
iStoryTime, a Division of Cupcake Digital, Announces New Digital Publishing Partnership with Nickelodeon for Development of Storybooks Inspired by SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer
Tuesday, August 19th, 2014
NEW YORK, NY (AUGUST 19, 2014) – The iStoryTime Library, powered by Cupcake Digital, Inc., will now include exciting new titles from Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids. Narrated storybooks featuring popular characters from the network’s hit series SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer, will be added to the free-to-download library app, beginning this month. Each book is provided as a free update to subscribers or can be purchased individually. The new two-year licensing agreement covers a range of books from Nickelodeon’s hit lineup, joining iStoryTime’s existing content relationships with DreamWorks Animation, Sony, Lafig Belgium/IMPS for Smurfs, PBS, and others.
"The opportunity to partner with a top kids brand like Nick, and to be able to bring SpongeBob and Dora titles to the iStoryTime library, is really exciting," said iStoryTime President Graham Farrar. "We continue to grow our library of high quality, narrated titles that kids love and parents feel good about, and Dora and SpongBob are the perfect fit – which makes us and our customers smile."
"At Nickelodeon, we strive to be everywhere kids are, from television, to the play room and even on the go," said Paula Allen, Senior Vice President Global Publishing, Nickelodeon Consumer Products. "Partnering with Cupcake Digital to bring stories from our most popular characters to mobile devices is sure to set kids off on literary adventures."
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About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 35th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in almost 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 19 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).
ABOUT CUPCAKE DIGITAL
Founded in 2012, Cupcake Digital, Inc. gives kids the opportunity to interact with the characters they love by transforming children’s entertainment properties into award-winning apps. The Company’s apps are consistently top-ranked on the Apple App Store, Amazon Appstore for Android, Google Play and the Barnes & Noble NOOK Store. Cupcake’s licensed IP portfolio includes Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!, Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock, Strawberry Shortcake, VeggieTales, Yo Gabba Gabba!, Animal Planet, The Smurfs, Sid the Science Kid, Barney, Mike the Knight, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Puss In Boots, How To Train Your Dragon, Madagascar, Shrek, and Kung Fu Panda.
For more information about Cupcake Digital Inc., please visit www.cupcakedigital.com.
ABOUT THE ISTORYTIME LIBRARY, POWERED BY CUPCAKE DIGITAL
The iStoryTime Library is a free app that offers both a la carte and subscription access to a large and growing collection of storybooks based on The Smurfs, Dora the Explorer, How To Train Your Dragon, Madagascar, SpongeBob Squarepants, Kung Fu Panda, and Barney, among many others. The app is an excellent tool for parents to provide children with an experience that is both entertaining and encourages reading. New storybooks are added weekly and can be enjoyed in several modes, ranging from narrated stories to reading the story as a book. For additional information visit www.iStoryTime.com.
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(Additional source: Kidscreen)
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