Successful Pre-School Brand to Debut in Japan
London, 31st March 2009: Ludorum plc, a leading specialist company dedicated to developing, acquiring and marketing global entertainment franchises and Japan's leading commercial broadcaster, Fuji Television Network Inc., today announce the conclusion of a significant agreement for Ludorum's highly successful pre-school brand, Chuggington.
Today's agreement sees Fuji Television licensing all rights to Chuggington in Japan including broadcast, consumer products, home entertainment and publishing. Fuji Television, which has access to Japan's estimated 50 million TV households, has acquired 52 x 10 minute episodes of Chuggington. The series will make its Japanese debut in summer 2009 with a comprehensive consumer products programme following in spring 2010.
Ludorum's agreement with Fuji Television follows the recently announced commission from CBeebies for a further 26 x 10 minute episodes of Chuggington, increasing the total number of episodes available to 78 x 10 minutes. The series made its UK debut on BBC TWO in September 2008 and launched on CBeebies channel in January 2009. The Chuggington series has rapidly built a significant following in the UK and is one of the top rating shows on CBeebies.
Chuggington has already been sold to over 140 countries around the world. The series made its German debut on Super RTL in January where it has already achieved significant ratings success. Chuggington recently launched on ABC in Australia and has quickly established itself as a top rating series in the territory, capturing a 70% share of 0-4 year olds. The series has also made a successful debut on Treehouse in Canada. Chuggington will launch on France's TF1 on 1st April 2009 and in other key territories around the world throughout the rest of this year.
Commenting on today's announcement, Charlie Caminada, Chief Operating Officer, Ludorum, said: "We are extremely pleased to be partnering with Fuji TV, the leading commercial broadcaster in Japan. This agreement opens up significant opportunities for Chuggington in the Japanese market and we look forward to working with Fuji in building the brand in this key territory."
Koichi Uchida, Senior Director of Fuji TV's Home Video Department stated:
"We are pleased to work with Ludorum plc on Chuggington, which we feel has a very promising future in Japan. The negotiations between our companies began before broadcasts in other countries, so we are truly pleased to learn of Chuggington's worldwide success. Fuji TV looks forward very much to building Chuggington into a huge success in Japan."
-Ends-
For further information contact: Liz Morris, Publicity Consultant on 0797 112 9035 / liz_morris7@hotmail.co.uk
About Ludorum plc
Ludorum was formed and is run by the former CEO and COO of HIT Entertainment PLC, a company which was subject to a recommended takeover in May 2005 valuing the business at £489 million and which managed a strong portfolio of children's properties including Bob the Builder, Barney, Thomas the Tank Engine, Pingu and Guinness World Records and by the co-founder and former CEO of Learning Curve, International, the company that has the master toy licenses for both Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder. Ludorum is dedicated to developing, acquiring and marketing intellectual entertainment properties which are appropriate for both the new interactive distribution channels as well as classic linear TV. www.ludorum.com
About Chuggington
Chuggington is a computer generated 3D series of 78 x 10 minute episodes as well as a fully immersive interactive website. The series follows the adventures of Wilson, Brewster and Koko, trainee diesel engines, each with their own unique personality and learning style. The series is set in a world much like our own with cities, villages and diverse cultures and geography. Entertainment and enjoyment is at the heart of Chuggington, but embedded within each story are important educational and developmental messages centred on learning and social-emotional development. Chuggington is directed by Sarah Ball, who won a BAFTA award for her work as a director and writer of Bob the Builder. The property was conceived to seamlessly integrate television, books and interactive view-and-play. Further information is available at www.chuggington.com
An innovative on-line program where parents will be able to personalise the site for their children, specifying many parameters including the level of community interaction desired has also been brought to market simultaneously with the TV property. The Chuggington site allows parents to prioritise the developmental and learning issues that they believe are important to their children and presents a truly entertaining and immersive interactive world of Chuggington which is graphically and textually consistent with the world defined by the television series, and which is also uniquely interactive with many of the property's licensed products.
London, 31st March 2009: Ludorum plc, a leading specialist company dedicated to developing, acquiring and marketing global entertainment franchises and Japan's leading commercial broadcaster, Fuji Television Network Inc., today announce the conclusion of a significant agreement for Ludorum's highly successful pre-school brand, Chuggington.
Today's agreement sees Fuji Television licensing all rights to Chuggington in Japan including broadcast, consumer products, home entertainment and publishing. Fuji Television, which has access to Japan's estimated 50 million TV households, has acquired 52 x 10 minute episodes of Chuggington. The series will make its Japanese debut in summer 2009 with a comprehensive consumer products programme following in spring 2010.
Ludorum's agreement with Fuji Television follows the recently announced commission from CBeebies for a further 26 x 10 minute episodes of Chuggington, increasing the total number of episodes available to 78 x 10 minutes. The series made its UK debut on BBC TWO in September 2008 and launched on CBeebies channel in January 2009. The Chuggington series has rapidly built a significant following in the UK and is one of the top rating shows on CBeebies.
Chuggington has already been sold to over 140 countries around the world. The series made its German debut on Super RTL in January where it has already achieved significant ratings success. Chuggington recently launched on ABC in Australia and has quickly established itself as a top rating series in the territory, capturing a 70% share of 0-4 year olds. The series has also made a successful debut on Treehouse in Canada. Chuggington will launch on France's TF1 on 1st April 2009 and in other key territories around the world throughout the rest of this year.
Commenting on today's announcement, Charlie Caminada, Chief Operating Officer, Ludorum, said: "We are extremely pleased to be partnering with Fuji TV, the leading commercial broadcaster in Japan. This agreement opens up significant opportunities for Chuggington in the Japanese market and we look forward to working with Fuji in building the brand in this key territory."
Koichi Uchida, Senior Director of Fuji TV's Home Video Department stated:
"We are pleased to work with Ludorum plc on Chuggington, which we feel has a very promising future in Japan. The negotiations between our companies began before broadcasts in other countries, so we are truly pleased to learn of Chuggington's worldwide success. Fuji TV looks forward very much to building Chuggington into a huge success in Japan."
-Ends-
For further information contact: Liz Morris, Publicity Consultant on 0797 112 9035 / liz_morris7@hotmail.co.uk
About Ludorum plc
Ludorum was formed and is run by the former CEO and COO of HIT Entertainment PLC, a company which was subject to a recommended takeover in May 2005 valuing the business at £489 million and which managed a strong portfolio of children's properties including Bob the Builder, Barney, Thomas the Tank Engine, Pingu and Guinness World Records and by the co-founder and former CEO of Learning Curve, International, the company that has the master toy licenses for both Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder. Ludorum is dedicated to developing, acquiring and marketing intellectual entertainment properties which are appropriate for both the new interactive distribution channels as well as classic linear TV. www.ludorum.com
About Chuggington
Chuggington is a computer generated 3D series of 78 x 10 minute episodes as well as a fully immersive interactive website. The series follows the adventures of Wilson, Brewster and Koko, trainee diesel engines, each with their own unique personality and learning style. The series is set in a world much like our own with cities, villages and diverse cultures and geography. Entertainment and enjoyment is at the heart of Chuggington, but embedded within each story are important educational and developmental messages centred on learning and social-emotional development. Chuggington is directed by Sarah Ball, who won a BAFTA award for her work as a director and writer of Bob the Builder. The property was conceived to seamlessly integrate television, books and interactive view-and-play. Further information is available at www.chuggington.com
An innovative on-line program where parents will be able to personalise the site for their children, specifying many parameters including the level of community interaction desired has also been brought to market simultaneously with the TV property. The Chuggington site allows parents to prioritise the developmental and learning issues that they believe are important to their children and presents a truly entertaining and immersive interactive world of Chuggington which is graphically and textually consistent with the world defined by the television series, and which is also uniquely interactive with many of the property's licensed products.
