Target, Chapman End Licensing Agreement

LONDON: The licensing rights for Fifi and the Flowertots will revert back to Chapman Entertainment in May, while Target Entertainment Group continues to represent the property for international TV sales.

Target and Chapman are ending their current partnership agreement, and Chapman is bringing licensing for the series in-house. Since the show launched at MIPCOM in 2004, Target signed more than 50 licensing deals in the U.K. for Fifi and the Flowertots and sold the series to broadcasters in 160-plus territories.

Helen Howells, the global brand director for Target Entertainment Group, said: "We have had tremendous success licensing Fifi and the Flowertots and have been instrumental in supporting Chapman Entertainment to help build the brand. We’ll be sad to say goodbye to Fifi but appreciate now is a good time for Chapman Entertainment to take-over managing the property in-house. Target will soon be announcing details of its own in-house brands which will launch at MIPCOM Junior later this year."

Andrew Haydon, the commercial and finance director for Chapman Entertainment, commented: "We have had a marvellous partnership with Target for the last five years and they, and in particular Helen Howells and her team, have been a huge partner in launching Fifi onto the world stage. Over this period, and with the launch of Roary the Racing Car we have developed a strong in-house licensing team and the time is now right to move all licensing activity in-house. A real focus for us moving forward is to promote our products cross-category and really drive bespoke retail propositions for both Roary the Racing Car and Fifi and the Flowertots in the U.K. and internationally."