HIT Shores Up New European Deals

LONDON, July 20: HIT Entertainment has inked ten new
broadcasting deals across Europe for its portfolio of preschool brands,
including agreements with the BBC, YLE and SVT.

In France, the Disney Channel took Bob the Builder, Barney
and Thomas & Friends. In Finland
YLE opted for Pingu and Angelina
Ballerina, while Channel 4 Finland took two
seasons of

Bob the Builder. SVT
Sweden bought four seasons of Kipper,
and NRK Norway has signed on for two series of Pingu.

Nickelodeon UK re-licensed four seasons of Bob the
Builder and acquired several new series of Bob
the Builder’s Project Build It. In other Bob news, the first Welsh-language version has been
commissioned for S4C in Wales, and Spain’s TV Catalunya picked up two seasons
of the show.

Nick also purchased three Angelina Ballerina specials, four series of The Wiggles and a Thomas & Friends special. Also in the U.K., Five has renewed its
license for Oswald.

The Eastern European broadcaster Minimax has acquired
broadcasting rights for Thomas & Friends, Pingu, Fireman
Sam, Percy the Park Keeper, Wind in the Willows and Willows in Winter. And Happy TV in Serbia took ten seasons of Thomas and two of Bob the Builder.

In addition, Tolo and ATN, the two main terrestrial
broadcasters in Afghanistan, have acquired free and pay satellite rights to a
host of HIT properties.