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.
Fox Home Entertainment And HIT Entertainment Reach Distribution Accord For Top-Selling Children's Properties
Deal Grants Fox Access To HIT's Vast Entertainment Portfolio Including Barney™, Bob the Builder™, Thomas & Friends™, Angelina Ballerina™ And More
01/30/2006LOS ANGELES / NEW YORK
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) and HIT Entertainment have entered into a multimillion dollar, multi-year agreement for the exclusive marketing, sales and distribution rights to HIT's extensive portfolio of award-winning children's programming in the US and Canada. Fox will begin distributing HIT's full slate of home entertainment releases for fall 2006.
The upcoming release slate includes several new direct-to-video and catalog titles for HIT's top-selling franchises: Bob the Builder™, Barney™, Angelina Ballerina™ and Thomas & Friends™. Fox will also distribute all of The Jim Henson Company's "Henson Family Classics," including Fraggle Rock™ and Animal Jam™, for which HIT Entertainment serves as US agent for home entertainment, as well as licensing and merchandising.
"The entire HIT catalog as well as future releases will benefit greatly from Fox's industry-leading distribution acumen and clout in the market," commented Patricia Wyatt, President, HIT North America. "This will allow HIT to dramatically expand its distribution and presence at retail thereby reaching even more families with young children."
"The HIT Entertainment portfolio contains some of the true jewels of children's home entertainment," noted Mike Dunn, President Worldwide, TCFHE. "This agreement will allow us to further our expertise in the kids' category as well as build HIT's business at retail to our mutual benefit."
Through the new partnership, each video release will benefit from the same type of comprehensive marketing that has enabled TCFHE to become an industry-leading distributor. Fox will now perform all of the business functions previously handled by HIT Entertainment's US home entertainment division.
About HIT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment, owned by private equity investment group Apax Partners since June 2005, is one of the world’s leading independent children’s entertainment producers and rights-owners. HIT’s portfolio includes internationally renowned children’s properties, such as Bob the Builder™, Barney™, Thomas & Friends™, Pingu™, Rubbadubbers™ and Angelina Ballerina™. HIT acts as a representative for The Wiggles® in the UK, US and Canada and as worldwide representative for The Jim Henson Company’s library of classic family brands, including Fraggle Rock™. HIT also owns the Guinness World Records™ publishing and television property and Fireman Sam™, a joint venture with S4C. 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. With a catalog of more than 1,000 hours of young children’s programming, HIT sells its shows to more than 240 countries worldwide, in more than 40 different languages and has operations in the UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan. In 2005, the Company joined Comcast Corporation, PBS and Sesame Workshop to launch PBS KIDS Sprout℠, a 24-hour digital cable channel and VOD service for preschoolers. For more information, visit www.hitentertainment.com.
About Twentieth Century Fox
A recognized global industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC (TCFHE) is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming on VHS, DVD and Blu-ray Disc (BD) as well as acquisitions and original productions. The company also releases all products around the globe for MGM Home Entertainment. Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets—from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce - throughout the world. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC is a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company.
