HIT Entertainment Digital Newsroom

HIT Entertainment Appoints Jakks Pacific Master Toy Licensee for Aardman Animations' New Preschool Property, Timmy Time™ and Teen/Tween Property, Shaun The Sheep™ in The U.S. and Canada

New York, NY

HIT Entertainment, a leading provider of quality children's entertainment, has named leading U.S. toymaker JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAKK) as master toy licensee for Aardman Animation's Timmy Time™ and Shaun the Sheep™ for the U.S. and Canada. Under the agreement, JAKKS has rights to manufacture and market a full line of products for both properties including plush, electronic learning toys, figures, and playsets. JAKKS may also produce stationery activity sets, craft activity sets, and musical instruments.

From the much loved, and critically acclaimed, Shaun the Sheep, comes Aardman Animations' first 30-minute preschool series, Timmy Time. Timmy has a lot to learn, and the series follows this little lamb as he leaves the pasture for preschool! With all new diverse animal characters, including teachers Osbourne Owl and Harriet Heron, and friends Ruffy the Puppy, Otus the Owlet, Paxton the Piglet and Mittens the Kitten, along with a rich and colorful nursery school backdrop, Timmy and his friends learn life lessons that every preschooler needs to know.

The new Timmy Time products, targeted to kids 2 to 5, are slated to launch in Fall 2010 following Timmy Time's anticipated broadcast debut on Playhouse Disney.

On his own TV series, Shaun, a little sheep with a big personality, constantly brings mayhem to the meadow. Kids watch as he leads his flock into all types of mischief while running circles around Bitzer the sheepdog. Shaun the Sheep has aired on The Disney Channel since July 2007 and is part of their regular line-up. Shaun the Sheep items, including feature collectible figures and novelty plush for teens and tweens, are expected to launch in 2010.

"We are thrilled to partner with JAKKS Pacific to introduce Timmy Time and Shaun the Sheep toys and games for the first time to the U.S. and Canada," said Gary Krakower, Senior Vice President, U.S. Licensing & Live Events, HIT Entertainment. "JAKKS Pacific, like Aardman Animations, has built a reputation on innovation and originality. We're sure preschoolers will embrace Timmy, as older kids around the world will embrace Shaun, and we are excited to work with JAKKS on product development for these two unique properties. JAKKS' strength in toys, Aardman's strength in development and HIT's licensing expertise make this a winning combination!"

"JAKKS is very pleased to align with Aardman and HIT to launch the Timmy Time and Shaun the Sheep products," commented Jennifer Richmond, Senior Vice President, Licensing and Media, JAKKS Pacific. "We will work to develop fun items based on these two dynamic properties for their key audiences that really embody the unique characters and properties for consumers at retail."

HIT is responsible for managing the consumer products roll-out of Timmy Time in North America, in addition to managing the Consumer Products rights of Aardman properties Wallace & Gromit™, Shaun the Sheep and Aardman Classics. HIT also manages Aardman's Themed Attractions business worldwide for Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Timmy Time.

About JAKKS Pacific
JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAKK) is a leading designer and marketer of toys and consumer products, with a wide range of products that feature some of the most popular children's toy licenses in the world. JAKKS' diverse portfolio includes Action Figures, Art Activity Kits, Stationery, Writing Instruments, Performance Kites, Water Toys, Sports Activity Toys, Vehicles, Infant/Pre-School, Plush, Construction Toys, Electronics, Dolls, Dress-Up, Role Play, and Pet Toys and Accessories, sold under various proprietary brands including JAKKS Pacific®, Child Guidance®, Color Workshop®, Creative Designs International™, Disguise™, EyeClops®, Flying Colors®, Funnoodle®, Girl Gourmet™, Go Fly a Kite®, JAKKS Pets™, Kids Only®, Pentech®, Play Along®, Plug It In & Play TV Games™, Road Champs® and Tollytots®. JAKKS is an award-winning licensee of several hundred nationally and internationally known trademarks including Cabbage Patch Kids, Disney, Graco®, Nickelodeon, Ultimate Fighting Championship, Warner Bros., World Wrestling Entertainment. JAKKS and THQ Inc. participate in a joint venture that has worldwide rights to publish and market World Wrestling Entertainment video games. For further information, visit www.jakks.com.

About Aardman
Aardman, based in Bristol (UK), co-founded and run by Peter Lord and David Sproxton, is a world leader in animation. It produces feature films, television series, television commercials & web content for both the domestic and international market. The studio has won over 400 international awards including 4 Oscars®.

Aardman's multi-award winning productions are novel, entertaining, brilliantly characterised and full of charm that reflects the unique talent, energy and personal commitment of the very special people who make up the Aardman team. The studio's work is often imitated and yet the company continues to lead the field producing a rare brand of visually stunning and amusing independent and commercials productions.

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™ 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 Sprout℠, and international preschool channel JimJam, (outside of the US, UK and China). For more information, visit www.hitentertainment.com.