HIT Entertainment Digital Newsroom

New Partners are All Aboard with Thomas & Friends™

Added Extras, Tara Toys, The Tin Box Company, Think Wow Toys, The Toy Workshop and Upper Deck to Introduce New Thomas Items in a Variety of Categories

New York, NY

HIT Entertainment, a leading provider of quality children's entertainment, has inked deals with a diverse group of top licensees to develop, manufacture and market new Thomas & Friends™ items in a variety of categories, including Health & Beauty, Arts & Crafts, Accessories, Outdoor, Wooden Furniture &  Home Accessories and Trading Cards. This is the first time that HIT has worked with Added Extras, Tara Toys, The Tin Box Company, Think Wow Toys, The Toy Workshop and Upper Deck

"Thomas is the #1 preschool brand and we're thrilled to align with these leading partners to expand the depth and breadth of the Thomas licensing program," said Gary Krakower, SVP, Consumer Products and Live Events, HIT Entertainment US.  "When new licensees come aboard to work with Thomas, they know they are partnering with a brand that boasts a rich heritage and loyal fan base, and a property that continues to grow and innovate every year. I am confident that the products from Added Extras, Tara Toys, The Tin Box Company, Think Wow Toys, The Toy Workshop and Upper Deck will thrill and entertain Thomas fans throughout the US.” 

Thomas & Friends' new partners and products will include:

• Added Extras will be creating a complete line of Thomas-branded health and beauty products, such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, soap, body lotion, adhesive strips, wash cloths, bath caddies, soap dispensers and more starting in fall 2010.
• Tara Toys’ new arts and crafts line for the #1 engine will include magnetic sets, rolling art desks, activity cases with pads, markers, crayons and stampers, giant activity floorpads, Sit n’ Play activity trays and 5-in-1 activity easels.  All of Tara Toys’ Thomas items will be available at mass and specialty stores starting in fall 2010.
• The Tin Box Company will launch Thomas & Friends tin items at mass retailers such as buckets, catchall cases with lids, tin carry-alls and metal waste bins starting in spring 2010.
• Think Wow Toys is charged with creating Thomas & Friends pools, pool toys and accessories, such as child-sized goggles, swim vests, swim rings, arm floaties, noodles, rafts, kick boards and more. These products will be available for summer fun in 2011.
• The Toy Workshop will be creating and distributing a full line of wooden Thomas & Friends room décor items, from hangers and growth charts to book cases, clothing racks, benches and toy boxes, to name a few.  The Toy Workshop’s Thomas line will be available to the specialty market only.

• Upper Deck will be producing collectible trading cards that will include pop-up, sticker and temporary tattoo trading cards targeted to youngsters between the ages of three and six and based on the # 1 preschool property.  The characters from the Island of Sodor will come to life via Upper Deck’s trading cards starting in June 2010 at mass and specialty retailers.

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.