Nelvana Enterprises announces new episodes of the hit animated series Max & Ruby, BEYBLADE and Bakugan, along with exciting new licensing opportunities for each property.
Press Release from Nelvana Enterprises
(February 8, 2011 – AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL TOY FAIR – New York, New York) – Nelvana Enterprises announces new episodes of the hit animated series Max & Ruby, BEYBLADE and Bakugan, along with exciting new licensing opportunities for each property.
Max & RubyTwenty-six new half-hour episodes (3 x 7 minute segments) are in production of Max & Ruby, a hilarious preschool series about the mischievous adventures of bunny siblings. It is a top 3 series on Nickelodeon in the U.S.* and also airs on Treehouse, the #1 preschool channel in Canada. Licensees onboard in the U.S. include Sara Max, VTech, Bakery Crafts and Penguin, and Ty Beanies in both Canada and the U.S. Max & Ruby DVDs have sold over 2.4 million units to date in the U.S. from Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and have reached “platinum” status in Canada with distributor Phase 4. Koba Entertainment is touring a Max & Ruby stage show in Canada and the U.S. this year. Max & Ruby is produced in association with Silver Lining Productions, a Chorion company.
BEYBLADE: Metal MastersNelvana and d-rights are releasing 51 new half-hour episodes of the anime hit for boys 6-12, BEYBLADE: Metal Masters. The Beyblade toy line (for ages 8+) from master toy partner Hasbro, Inc. has been flying off shelves around the world and 26 licensees have been signed up by Nelvana to date internationally with scores more being finalized. The BEYBLADE: Metal Fusion series (current season) has been well received by broadcasters including Cartoon Network in the U.S., YTV in Canada, Boing (CN) in Spain, Nick in the U.K. and Germany, Gulli in France and many others. There is a robust online presence for this brand, including a product code-enabled virtual battle site (beybladebattles.com) created by Hasbro, and beyblade.com, as well as social media and numerous user-generated forums and content. Hudson Entertainment, the official video game partner, has successfully launched Nintendo DS and Wii titles in the Americas. Vivendi, the North American Home Entertainment partner, has released two titles with the next release set for spring 2011.
Bakugan: Mechtanium SurgeSeason 4 of the boys anime action TV series is to debut in Canada and the U.S. this month with 26 new half-hour episodes. Bakugan toys from Spin Master include newly added action figures and battle vehicles. Licensees in Canada include Paris Geneve for apparel, Calego for bags, Black & White for footwear, Hallmark for party goods, Colgate for toothbrushes and toothpaste and 3M for bandages. Opportunities in Canada include consumer packaged goods promotions and more. Home Entertainment partners include Vivendi Entertainment in Canada and Warner Home Video in the United States. Activision Publishing is the video game partner globally.
About Corus Entertainment Inc.Corus Entertainment Inc. is a Canadian-based media and entertainment company. Corus is a market leader in specialty television and radio with additional assets in pay television, television broadcasting, children’s book publishing and children’s animation. The Company’s multimedia entertainment brands include YTV, Treehouse, Nickelodeon (Canada), W Network, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network (Canada), CosmoTV, Sundance Channel (Canada), Movie Central, HBO Canada, Nelvana, Kids Can Press and radio stations including CKNW AM 980, 99.3 The FOX, Country 105, 630 CHED, Q107 and 102.1 the Edge. Corus creates engaging branded entertainment experiences for its audiences across multiple platforms. A publicly traded company, Corus is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (CJR.B). Experience Corus on the web at www.corusent.com.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
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