Nat Geo Appoints Southern European Rep for Kids Property

MADRID, February 7:
Elastic Rights has inked a deal with National Geographic Television
International to handle the television, home video, merchandising and licensing
rights for Mama Mirabelle’s Home Movies in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece.

Mama Mirabelle’s Home
Movies is a co-production between
National Geographic Kids Entertainment, BBC/CBeebies and King Rollo Films. The
preschool series centers on a nurturing elephant named Mama Mirabelle and the
young animal characters she cares for in the African savannah. The property
combines live action with archival clips from National Geographic’s and the
BBC’s libraries.

The series debuted in
March 2007 on CBeebies in the U.K., and National Geographic Television
International has now sold the television rights in more than 50 countries,
including to PBS Kids in the U.S., Australia’s ABC and Playhouse Disney and TV
Nanny in Russia, among others.

“We are
delighted to sign this representation agreement with National Geographic
Television International and are excited about the opportunities for the
National Geographic Little Kids brand in the marketplace,” said Ignacio Orive
Martín, the president of Elastic Rights. “We believe Mama Mirabelle’s Home
Movies will bring
fresh and valuable entertainment to our preschool audience in Southern Europe.”

“Elastic Rights has a
wonderful track record with preschool brands in its core territories so we are
delighted to have them onboard as partners,” commented Karen Vermeulen, the
head of kids’ sales at National Geographic Television International. “We look
forward to working closely together to see the growth in these territories from
TV, publishing and consumer products.”

—By Kristin
Brzoznowski