Viacom to Acquire Garfield for Nickelodeon Portfolio
Nick Plans to Develop New Garfield Content for All Platforms and Consumer Products for a New Generation of Fans
Nickelodeon plans to develop new Garfield content for all platforms and consumer products for a new generation of fans. Image Credit: Paws, Inc.
NEW YORK--Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), through one of its subsidiaries, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Paws, Inc., the entity holding global intellectual property rights to the Garfield and the U.S. Acres (a.k.a. Orson’s Farm) franchises--including corresponding rights related to content, consumer products, and location-based experiences. The acquisition is expected to close in the upcoming weeks.
The acquisition of Garfield is part of Nickelodeon’s strategy to be the home for the biggest franchises kids and families love, and it expands Nickelodeon’s growing portfolio of influential properties that already includes SpongeBob SquarePants, PAW Patrol, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the forthcoming Blue’s Clues & You!, the first-ever SpongeBob spinoff, Kamp Koral, and all-new animated Star Trek and Paddington series.
Nickelodeon also recently revived its iconic '90s sketch series All That, as well as partnered with LEGO and YouTube influencer “Ryan,” the central figure in the online series “Ryan ToysReview”, to launch two new series, LEGO City Adventures and Ryan's Mystery Playdate.
Said Nickelodeon’s President, Brian Robbins: “This acquisition marks another step in our evolution toward being kids’ first stop for the best new content and characters, so we’re incredibly happy to have Garfield join our growing roster of globally loved franchises and to introduce this cool cat to a new generation of fans.”
Following completion of the acquisition, Nickelodeon plans to develop a new Garfield animated television series. Global merchandising rights to Garfield will be managed by Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products (VNCP), including the property’s existing portfolio of licensees. Garfield creator Jim Davis will continue to produce the Garfield syndicated comic strip as he has done since creating the lazy feline since 1976. The cartoon has chronicled the life of the eponymous cat, his owner Jon Arbuckle and Odie the dog, as well as various friends. Known for his love of lasagne and coffee and his disdain for Mondays, Garfield has spawned a slew of movies and TV shows - Garfield and Friends in the 1980s and '90s on CBS and the CG-animated The Garfield Show on Cartoon Network from 2009 to 2012 — and a pair of feature films, Garfield: The Movie (2004), a live-action/animated hybrid in which the corpulent cat was wryly voiced by Bill Murray (Ghostbusters), opposite Breckin Meyer’s Jon, and Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (2006) and three straight-to-video sequels. The property has received four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program for the animated specials Garfield on the Town, Garfield in the Rough, Garfield’s Halloween Special and Garfield’s Babes and Bullets. Garfield and Friends previously aired on Nickelodeon USA between 1997–2000.
“Great content is core to the strength of our brands, and Garfield is a beloved character that continues to be part of the cultural zeitgeist with universal resonance across all ages,” said Sarah Levy, Chief Operating Officer of Viacom Media Networks. "The acquisition of Paws, Inc. provides another opportunity for Viacom to leverage our platforms to extend the global reach of iconic IP.”
Pam Kaufman, President of VNCP, added: “Garfield is a global evergreen franchise that is a natural fit with Nickelodeon and our portfolio of iconic properties. With fans around the globe that span both kids and adults, we are excited to ignite Garfield into a multi-generational consumer products juggernaut and further deliver on VNCP’s ‘Every Age, Every Aisle’ mission.”
Financial terms were not disclosed, but the character is said to generate millions of dollars a year in merchandise alone.
Created by cartoonist Jim Davis, Garfield is the most widely syndicated comic strip in the world (Guinness World Records), and the franchise spawned movies, TV shows, stage shows and merchandise. Garfield has received four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program, and Davis was inducted into the Licensing Hall of Fame in 1998.
Davis said: “I’ve always tried to make people laugh with humor that is classic and appealing to both kids and adults. I’m delighted that Garfield is going to be placed in the capable hands of the folks at Nick. They know how to entertain and will be great stewards for the franchise. I am also excited to continue to do the thing that gets me out of bed every morning…the comic strip!”
In an era when kids are prone to binge-watching their way through one series and moving quickly on to something else, kids’ outlets need to expand their content libraries, said Nickelodeon’s top executive in a recent interview. “I think today we need to make a volume of quality franchises,” Nickelodeon president Brian Robbins told Variety in February. “We need to keep a constant number of new shows coming, and not necessarily make one show with 80 episodes.”
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 40th 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 brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location based experiences, publishing and feature films. 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, VIAB).
About Viacom
Viacom creates entertainment experiences that drive conversation and culture around the world. Through television, film, digital media, live events, merchandise and solutions, our brands connect with diverse, young and young at heart audiences in more than 180 countries.
For more information on Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com. Keep up with Viacom news by following us on Twitter (twitter.com/viacom), Facebook (facebook.com/viacom) and LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/viacom).
More Nick: Nickelodeon Embarks on New Direction with its Biggest, Most Wide-Ranging Content Slate Ever | Nick Upfront 2019!
Based on a Nickelodeon Press Release via Business Wire; H/T: Anime Superhero Forum /@RoyalRubble; Additional sources: @Daffyrocks, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Kidscreen, Animation Magazine, Den of Geek.
Originally published: Tuesday, August 6, 2019 at 18:18 BST.
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