HIT Entertainment Digital Newsroom

Full Speed Ahead for Thomas & Friends™ as #1 Preschool Property Pulls into Licensing Show

06/09/2010

Las Vegas, NV

Thomas & Friends™ pulls into this year's Licensing Show with a cargo load of accolades that include several awards, new toy deals and an exciting new CG animated TV series that's already a hit overseas. The #1 engine is enjoying a banner 65th anniversary year worldwide as the Thomas & Friends series prepares to launch in the US for the first time in CG-animation on PBS KIDS®. Everyone's favorite blue engine, can be found at HIT Entertainment booth #5426 at Licensing International Expo at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center June 8-10 in Las Vegas.

Thomas & Friends' many recent accomplishments include:

• For the 9th consecutive year, Thomas & Friends™ is the number-one license in the preschool toys category in the United States, according to The NPD Group, Inc. In addition, Thomas & Friends ranks as the number-one preschool toy property in the UK for the 10th year in a row.

• In March, Thomas & Friends secured two prestigious wins at the 2010 Australian Toy Association's (ATA) annual Product of the Year awards: Licensed Product of the Year and Licensed Product - Pre-School. Thomas & Friends also received the 2009 GFK OzToys Award for Top Selling Toy License (value) in Australia. Thomas & Friends is the number one pre-school license in the UK and Australia, according to NPD.

• The new Thomas & Friends series is a huge hit in Australia! Since its debut in February, the show - the first ever Thomas the Tank Engine series produced in full CGI-animation - has risen to the top of the ratings chart on ABC2 with 47% more viewers in its timeslot (?) and 43.8% of the 0-4 year-old audience share across all timeslots.

• In the UK, the new Thomas & Friends series made its debut in January 2010 on Five's 'Milkshake' and has received a 25% uplift in viewers overall, and a 75% increase in viewers 4-9 years old.

• The new Thomas & Friends series makes its US debut in September. It is the first Thomas & Friends series to be produced in full CG animation, and provides the Island of Sodor and its inhabitants a fresh, modern look. Fans will hear the individualized engines speak as they now have a voice in telling their own stories.

• ThomasandFriends.com was selected as an Official Honoree in the Best Home/Welcome Page category from the prestigious Webby Awards by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. The Webby Awards recognize "sites and teams that demonstrate a standard of excellence" and is the equivalent of an Academy Award or Emmy Award in the digital world. To complement the new CG-animated television series launching in 2010 and provide a richer online experience for Thomas fans, www.ThomasandFriends.com, has undergone a redesign to provide the most comprehensive Thomas digital experience, including personalization options and a "My Station" customizable area for each visitor, an all-new Engine Depot, interactive navigation narrated by Sir Topham Hatt, and new activities and videos in the CG art style.

• HIT Entertainment has secured Fisher-Price as the new global master toy partner with new products that will include a new portable Take 'n Play line, an array of preschool items and motorized TrackMaster™ sets. Fisher-Price joins global Thomas & Friends toy licensees MEGA Brands (construction toys) and Learning Curve (wooden railway toys).

• There are six all-new CG-animated Thomas & Friends DVD titles from Lionsgate, including the DVD movie, Misty Island Rescue, that will be available in September. Lionsgate also released a 2-disc "Thomas & Friends: The Greatest Stories" anniversary edition this month, featuring 20 classic episodes and an array of bonus features. In the UK, Thomas & Friends first CG animated home entertainment release, Splish, Splash, Splosh, was the best-selling Thomas & Friends episodic home entertainment title in the past 6 years.

• In publishing, long time publishing partner Random House in North America will publish special Thomas & Friends titles, including a re-release of the classic "Happy Birthday Thomas" (US and Canada) for Thomas & Friends' 65th Anniversary. In addition, a full line of new releases are set for Misty Island Rescue in Fall '10. In the UK, a special, limited anniversary edition of Thomas The Tank Engine, published by Egmont will feature a raft of early and rarely-seen artwork from the estate of Thomas the Tank Engine's creator Rev. W Awdry

• Thomas & Friends live events and attractions will expand throughout 2010. June sees the opening of the 5th and biggest Thomas Town in the US at Six Flags America. The 15th consecutive Day out With Thomas™ Tour, celebrating with children at heritage railroads across the country continues to excite kids and their families through December. In September, AEG/Themestar will lauch a live, touring stage show in the UK following the very successful worldwide run of Thomas & Friends Live! On Stage: A Circus Comes To Town. A Thomas & Friends Live! touring stage show returns to the US in Spring 2011 from AEG/Themestar.

"The Thomas & Friends brand is stronger than ever, as evidenced by its number one standing with preschoolers all over the world," said Pam Westman, Executive Vice President, The Americas, HIT Entertainment, Thomas & Friends Division. "Thomas the Tank Engine is positioned for incredible growth in all lines of business and advanced forms of media," she said.

About HIT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment 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, as well as Wallace & Gromit™, Shaun the Sheep™, Timmy Time™ and Aardman Classics from Aardman Animations. HIT also acts 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 and live events and has operations in the UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan. HIT is a part-owner of US-based preschool channel, PBS KIDS SproutSM, and international preschool channel JimJam, (outside of the US, UK and China). For more information, visit www.hitentertainment.com.

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