Sprout Preps U.S. Debut for eOne’s Magic Hockey Skates

LONDON: NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment’s 24-hour preschool network Sprout in the U.S. has picked up Entertainment One’s (eOne) special The Magic Hockey Skates.

The half-hour 2D animated special will make its U.S. debut on Sprout in December as part of the network’s holiday lineup. Based on a book of the same name, The Magic Hockey Skates tells the story of a boy’s journey to confidence and self-respect with the help of a special pair of magic skates.

eOne holds international broadcast rights for The Magic Hockey Skates, which is produced by Amberwood Entertainment. In addition to Sprout, eOne sold the broadcast rights to international broadcasters such as Disney Channel (Latin America, Brazil), SRC (Canada), France Télévisions (France), KiKA (Germany), SVT (Sweden), DR Danish Broadcasting Corporation (Denmark) and MBC (the Middle East).

Monica Candiani, the head of international sales at eOne Family, said, “We’re delighted that The Magic Hockey Skates will be making its U.S. debut on Sprout and hope that this heartwarming story will become a perennial family favorite with American audiences during the Christmas holidays.”