About HIT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment, owned by private equity investment group Apax Partners, is one of the world's leading independent children's entertainment producers and rights-owners. HIT's portfolio includes properties, such as Barney™, Bob the Builder™, Thomas & Friends™, Pingu™, Fireman Sam™, Angelina Ballerina™ and Rainbow Magic™. HIT represents Chapman Entertainment's Fifi and the Flowertots™ and Roary the Racing Car™ in North America and Japan, as well as Wallace & Gromit™, Shaun the Sheep™, Timmy Time™ and Aardman Classics from Aardman Animations. HIT also acts as a worldwide representative for The Jim Henson Company's library of classic family brands and as representative for The Wiggles® in the UK.
Launched in 1989, HIT's lines of business span television and video production, content distribution, publishing, consumer products licensing, live events and attractions and has operations in the UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan. HIT is a part-owner of US preschool channel, PBS KIDS Sprout℠, and international preschool channel JimJam, (outside of the US, UK and China).
For more information, visit http://www.hitentertainment.com.
Global Fact Sheet
HIT Entertainment is one of the world's leading independent children's entertainment producers and rights-owners. HIT's portfolio includes internationally renowned and award-winning properties, such as Barney™, Bob the Builder™, Thomas & Friends™, Pingu™, Fireman Sam™, Angelina Ballerina™ and Rainbow Magic™.
HIT represents Chapman Entertainment's Fifi and the Flowertots™ and Roary the Racing Car™ in North America and Japan, as well as Wallace & Gromit™, Shaun the Sheep™, Timmy Time™ and Aardman Classics from Aardman Animations in North America. HIT also acts as a worldwide representative for The Jim Henson Company's library of classic family brands and as representative for The Wiggles® in the UK.
Launched in 1989, HIT's lines of business span television and video production (including studios in the US and the UK), publishing, consumer products licensing and live events.
| Operations: | HIT has offices in the UK, US, Japan, Hong Kong and Canada. |
| Programming: | With a catalog of more than 1,500 hours of young children's programming, HIT sells its shows to more than 240 countries worldwide, in more than 45 different languages. |
| Production: | HIT produces more than 900 minutes of programming each year, refreshing its slate with new series, new characters and new destinations. In 2009 HIT will debut new CGI-animated series for Angelina Ballerina, Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam and Thomas & Friends. |
| Television: | In 2005, the Company joined Comcast Corporation, PBS and Sesame Workshop
to launch PBS KIDS Sprout℠
, a 24-hour digital cable channel, online destination and Video-On-Demand
service for preschoolers and their caregivers. Sprout currently reaches
40 million US households. In 2007, HIT and Chellomedia's subsidiary, Zonemedia joined forces to launch and distribute international preschool channel JimJam, (outside of the US, UK and China). JimJam currently reaches 6 million households in 11 territories. |
| Home Entertainment: | HIT has sold more than 135 million DVDs and VHS units based on its core brands around the world. In 2008, HIT and Lionsgate® entered into an agreement for the exclusive marketing, sales and distribution rights to HIT's portfolio in the US and Canada. |
| Publishing: | Nearly 400 million books across HIT's portfolio of brands have been sold globally; in 2005, Thomas & Friends celebrated its 60th anniversary in publishing; in 2008, Angelina Ballerina celebrated 25 years in publishing. Newly acquired publishing brand Rainbow Magic has sold more than 15 million books globally. |
| Online: | HIT owns and manages 15 websites, including brand
websites in multiple languages for its core properties, including Bob
the Builder (bobthebuilder.com),
Barney (barney.com),
Thomas the Tank Engine (thomasandfriends.com),
Pingu (Pingu.net)
and Angelina Ballerina (angelinaballerina.com).
In 2008, HIT launched the first-ever virtual world for its successful
publishing property, Rainbow Magic (rainbowmagiconline.com). With streaming video, games, activities and content for both parents and kids, including monthly newsletters, HIT's websites receive a combined average of more than 7 million unique visitors monthly; 100 million page views. |
| Consumer Products: | HIT's brands have extensive hard and soft line Consumer Products extensions - from toys, plush and ride-on vehicles to role play, apparel and footwear collections to room décor, educational games and gaming systems and health and beauty products. |
| Live Events: | HIT Entertainment's characters, including Bob the Builder, Barney, Thomas & Friends and Fireman Sam have entertained more than 15 million fans worldwide through live stage shows and concerts, traveling museum exhibits and family events. |
| Attractions: | In 1995 "A Day In The Park With Barney," a live 20-minute
stage show attraction, starring Barney, BJ and Baby Bop opened at Universal
Studios Florida™ and continues to delight visitors daily. In 1998, the Fujikyu Corp opened Thomas Land in Japan within the Fujikyu Highland amusement park. Featuring eight Thomas-themed rides and Thomas-themed rooms within the park's hotel, Thomas Land welcomes more than 1.7 million guests each year. The first European Thomas Land opened at Drayton Manor theme park in 2008. Set within three acres of beautiful parkland, Thomas Land at Drayton Manor features 13 themed rides including a 600-meter Thomas train ride, an indoor play center, café and a Thomas retail shop. In 2007, Thomas & Friends launched its first permanent theme park attractions in the UK (at Drusillas Park in Sussex) and in the US (at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and Six Flags New England). In 2008, Thomas Town at Six Flags expanded to Six Flags Over Georgia and Six Flags Magic Mountain. HIT, with the Tatweer Group Dubai, will launch the first ever HIT-branded indoor entertainment center, The Little Big Club, in the prestigious Global Village development in Dubailand in 2009. |
For more information, please visit www.hitentertainment.com
