HIT Entertainment Digital Newsroom

HIT Entertainment Forges Strategic Alliance With Chapman Entertainment For Representation Rights For New Preschool Properties In North America And Japan

HIT to Represent International Sensation Fifi and the Flowertots and Newcomer Roary The Racing Car

06/18/2007

New York, NY

HIT Entertainment, a leading provider of quality preschool entertainment, announced today that it has forged a strategic alliance with Chapman Entertainment and acquired the representation rights for two new properties from the UK-based children's and family entertainment company in North America and select international markets. Through the partnership with Chapman Entertainment, HIT Entertainment will welcome the international sensation, Fifi and the Flowertots™ and the highly-anticipated Roary The Racing Car ™ into its portfolio of award-winning preschool brands that already includes Thomas & Friends™, Barney™, Angelina Ballerina™, as well as Bob the Builder™, which was originally created by Keith Chapman. HIT will serve as the rights manager across broadcast, licensing and merchandising, publishing, home entertainment and strategic partnerships in North America and Japan for both properties.

"Keith Chapman's vision in creating global preschool brands is unparalleled and we see a tremendous opportunity for Chapman Entertainment's newest properties -- Fifi and the Flowertots and Roary The Racing Car -- to flourish in new markets," said Bruce Steinberg, CEO, HIT Entertainment. "With their stunning animation styles, rich characters and engaging stories, Fifi and Roary are the perfect additions to HIT's portfolio of top-quality preschool brands, and this partnership serves to reinforce HIT's position as one of the premier preschool entertainment companies in the world."

Keith Chapman, Creative Director of Chapman Entertainment says: "I have a long history of working with HIT Entertainment, starting with Bob the Builder 10 years ago. I am delighted that Chapman Entertainment has forged a new and exciting relationship with HIT and am confident that their skill and expertise will help turn Fifi and Roary into huge successes in the US, Canada and Japan."

Launched in 2005 in the UK, Fifi and the Flowertots has quickly become a top-rated preschool television series on Five's Milkshake! and Nick Jr and is now the UK's No 1 Preschool girls brand and No 2 overall (Source: NPD Preschool Puzzles and Plush). In addition to the UK, Fifi and the Flowertots can be seen on television in more than 150 territories in 22 languages. The charming, visually-dynamic stop-frame animation series centers around Fifi Forget-Me-Not and her diverse and lovable friends in Flowertot Garden. As Fifi Forget-Me-Not can often be forgetful, she interacts directly with viewers, engaging the audience-at-home for assistance in helping her remember or solve simple dilemmas. Each episode incorporates core messages of cooperation and friendship, and fosters an appreciation of healthy living and environmental sciences.

Chapman Entertainment's newest property, Roary The Racing Car follows the adventures of a young, ambitious single-seat, red racingcar who races through life making mistakes and forging relationships with others at the Silver Hatch racetrack. Roary The Racing Car is full of action and reinforces important themes including social skills, the treatment of others, communication and creativity, road safety and the importance of working with a team and following rules. With an inspired cast of automotive and human friends, this adrenaline fuelled series was originated by David Jenkins and like Fifi is in production at the world-renowned Cosgrove Hall Films in stop-frame animation and CGI. Roary debuted in May on Five's Milkshake! and Nick Jr in the UK.

About Chapman Entertainment

Chapman Entertainment founded by Greg Lynn, Keith Chapman, and Andrew Haydon in 2002 is an independent company specialising in the creation, development, production and IP management of children's and family entertainment properties. Keith Chapman is the originator of Bob the Builder and creator of Fifi and the Flowertots and is the first person to have achieved global success with two preschool properties. Their first property Fifi and the Flowertots is a huge hit in the UK and has also achieved international success with sales to over 150 territories. Their second property Roary the Racing Car launched in the UK in May and has already secured a significant number of licensees and numerous international TV sales. Creativity is key to the business and Chapman Entertainment has a raft of future projects in development which it hopes will help realize its ambitions of becoming a global powerhouse in children's and family entertainment.

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.