DHX Media & Mattel Strike Kids’ Content Partnership

HALIFAX/EL SEGUNDO: DHX Media and Mattel have entered into a long-term partnership for the development, production and distribution of a range of multiplatform kids’ content.

Through the partnership, the companies will drive new production and growth for select Mattel properties, including Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam, Little People and Polly Pocket. They will jointly fund, co-develop and co-produce new episodic, short-form and long-form content for the brands, designed for a variety of traditional and digital platforms. DHX Media and Mattel will begin creative and strategic collaboration immediately, though the partnership takes effect January 1, 2016. DHX Distribution will manage global sales of existing and new content for Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam, Little People and Polly Pocket, and DHX Studios will collaborate with Mattel to develop and produce multiple new seasons for the properties. Mattel will oversee global brand management and all other lines of business.

“Mattel is a truly iconic company and this deal builds upon DHX’s existing strategies for long-term global growth,” said Dana Landry, the CEO of DHX Media. “The partnership plays extremely well to our complementary strengths—global content creation and distribution for DHX, and brand management and development for Mattel—and creates an amazing opportunity to amplify these celebrated Mattel franchises throughout the world.”

“Today’s announcement is a major step forward in our ongoing strategy to dramatically accelerate content creation and distribution on a global scale,” said Catherine Balsam-Schwaber, the chief content officer of Mattel. “As a recognized leader in kids’ and family entertainment, DHX is ideally suited to help us maximize content creation and distribution across multiple channels and geographies. Importantly, this relationship also creates the potential for future content, licensing and franchise development collaborations between Mattel and DHX.”