Tag Archives: ViacomCBS

PAW Patrol: The Movie first trailer drops as ViacomCBS cites ‘major milestone for iconic property’

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The first trailer for the hotly anticipated PAW Patrol: The Movie has landed, offering a first glimpse at ‘the biggest adventure yet’ for the cast of pups as the film readies to open in cinemas on August 20th this year.

Featuring an original song from Maroon 5’s front man, Adam Levine and an all-star cast including Ian Armitage, Marsai Martin, Yara Shahidi, Kim Kardashian West, and Jimmy Kimmel, the film will follow a big screen adventure as the PAW Patrol pups take on their biggest rival, Humdinger.

An official synopsis of the film reads: “The PAW Patrol is on a roll! When their biggest rival, Humdinger, becomes Mayor of nearby Adventure City and starts wreaking havoc, Ryder and everyone’s favorite heroic pups kick into high gear to face the challenge head on.

“While one pup must face his past in Adventure City, the team finds help from a new ally, the savvy dachshund Liberty. Together, armed with exciting new gadgets and gear, the PAW Patrol fights to save the citizens of Adventure City!”

Brian Robbins, president, kids and family entertainment, ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks, said: “Expanding PAW Patrol into the world of theatricals is a major milestone for this iconic property, and we can’t wait for kids and families everywhere to experience it together.

“We are incredibly excited to work with Spin Master Entertainment and our sister division Paramount Pictures on this latest title from the Nickelodeon Movies slate.”

SpongeBob gets into fintech as Viacom partners with Osper on prepaid debit cards for young people

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SpongeBob, Nickelodeon Slime, and JoJo Siwa are just some of the ViacomCBS children’s brands making the move into the fintech space thanks to a new partnership with the parent-managed debit card company for young people, Osper.

Under the pairing, popular IP from the ViacomCBS stable will feature across a series of prepaid debit cards for under 18 year olds, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Nickelodeon’s Slime, and SpongeBob Squarepants. Both Osper and ViacomCBS Consumer Products UK will also work together on a range of co-branded financial education assets for kids.

The move arrives as contactless payments now represent the dominant form of payment on the high street and the belief that young people risk being financially excluded from the shift if they are limited to using cash. Osper allows young people access to their own contactless prepaid debt card, which can be topped up, monitored, and managed by parents via an app.

Osper also automatically blocks payments for age restricted services and gives the option to turn off online spending, giving parents full control of their children’s spending.

“While young people are at the forefront of many of the world’s positive changes, they too face real challenges from the fast pace of change around them,” said Venetia Davie, vice president, ViacomCBS Consumer Products UK & Ireland.

“We believe passionately in supporting today’s children and this partnership is part of that commitment. We’re delighted to be working with Osper to use the reach and engagement of globally recognised properties such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to help give young people the education and tools necessary to deal with money in an increasingly contactless and digital world.”

Giovanni Santini, CEO of Osper, added: “By the age of eight, two things are happening – children are already learning lifelong financial behaviours, and they’re enthused, informed and entertained by world class content from Nickelodeon.

“At Osper we have always been focused on giving young people access to payments that are secure and safe – both online and contactless – combined with the knowledge and education needed to understand money and finance. This partnership will be transformative in increasing the accessibility of young people to develop positive financial habits that will shape their view of money for the rest of their lives.

“We’re proud to be working with not just a world-leading kids’ entertainment brand, but with a team who share the same values and ambition.”

Edoardo Volta, head of fintech UK and Ireland at Mastercard, said: “Young people today are digital natives and most take a ‘digital first’ approach to whatever they are doing, and this is no different for payments. So it is more important than ever that they have the right tools to stay in control of their money and make payments safely, securely and conveniently.”

The partnership will see Osper and ViacomCBS Consumer Products working together to deliver co-branded educational materials to help children understand money and develop positive financial habits.

Osper customers will also be able to apply for their own prepaid debit card featuring some of Nickelodeon’s most iconic kids’ brands such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Nickelodeon Slime and Jojo Siwa. Reaching over 13 million homes in the UK, Nickelodeon will promote these co-branded offers across its TV, online and social channels.

SpongeBob SquarePants, PAW Patrol to boost presence across Japan in major new Rakuten partnership for Nickelodeon

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SpongeBob SquarePants, PAW Patrol, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will each be bolstering their presence across the Japanese market thanks to a new partnership between ViacomCBS Networks International and Rakuten Group.

The long-term agreement will kick off with the launch of Nick+ – Nickelodeon’s kids’ streaming service – on Rakuten’s video on demand platform, Rakuten TV across Japan, covering mobile, web, and Smart TV devices.

The pairing will also include the creation of a dedicated Nickelodeon zone on Japan’s e-commerce platform. Rakuten Ichiba.

“This long-term agreement with Rakuten, a key player in the media and e-commerce industry, connects the world of streaming to the world of consumer products for the first time. The integration of Nick+ and the Nickelodeon digital storefront into the Rakuten Ecosystem will enable us to create an interconnected Nickelodeon experience for consumers and leverage strategic cross-platform promotional opportunities,” said Raffaele Annecchino, president and CEO of ViacomCBS Networks International.

“This innovative deal is testament to ViacomCBS’ expertise in developing unique and versatile partnerships and it will allow us to explore additional collaboration opportunities outside of Asia.”

Koji Ando, Rakuten group managing executive officer and senior vice president of Rakuten’s communications and energy company, added: “We are very excited to partner with ViacomCBS Networks International to bring their iconic brands and top-tier content to new audiences through our streaming and e-commerce platforms.

“Through these new initiatives, families across the country will have even more reasons to engage with our services and enjoy the rich customer experience of the Rakuten Ecosystem. We look forward to building on this partnership to deliver even more entertaining content and initiatives in the future.”

Nick+, a subscription service, is planned for launch on Rakuten TV on April 28, 2021, bringing many of the most popular series from the Nickelodeon library to Japanese audiences. Kids and families will be able to watch on demand favorite shows like SpongeBob SquarePants, PAW Patrol, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Bubble Guppies, Dora the Explorer, Blue’s Clues & You!, Deer Squad, The Loud House, Game Shakers, The Thundermans and more.

In addition to hit kids and family entertainment via the Nick+ service, Rakuten will host the first Nickelodeon digital storefront in Asia on the Rakuten Ichiba internet shopping mall in Japan. Showcasing a collection of select Nickelodeon products from multiple merchants, Japanese audiences will be able to purchase products featuring some of the brand’s favourite characters from franchises such as SpongeBob SquarePants, PAW Patrol, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the new dedicated e-commerce zone on Rakuten Ichiba.

Products will cover multiple categories, including fashion, stationery and collectibles.

Nick+ will be available on Rakuten TV’s official site and mobile app, STB/dongle, web and Smart TV devices as of April 28, while the digital Nickelodeon storefront on Rakuten Ichiba is planned for launch in May 2021.

Forbidden Planet and ViacomCBS launch Paramount Pictures partnership for Top Gun, Forrest Gump, and cult classic Galaxy Quest

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The pop culture retailer, Forbidden Planet ha partnered with ViacomCBS to launch a new line of direct to retail branded merchandise featuring some of the most classic Paramount Pictures properties, including Top Gun, and Galaxy Quest.

The online retailer is launching a new range of apparel and giftware based on seven films from the Paramount Pictures library, with The Godfather, Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick, Forrest Gump, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Anchorman, Sleepy Hollow, and Galaxy Quest all featuring in the line up.

Releases developed under the partnership will include t-shirts, hoodies, and accessories, including sew-on patches, enamel keyrings and pin badges. In addition, there will be an exclusive, collectible line of giftware with art prints, postcard packs, mugs, tea towels, magnets and travel pass holders. 

The launch of the new Paramount Pictures line follows two other successful ViacomCBS / Forbidden Planet DTR tie-ups for Nickelodeon and South Park. Due to its ties to science-fiction and fandom, Galaxy Quest as the first release in the range.

Anthony Garnon, licensing and special projects manager at Forbidden Planet, said: “I’m genuinely thrilled to be working on the Paramount Films library. These are some of the most well known and beloved films of all time. I’m very proud to launch with some great Galaxy Quest merchandise, as that’s a fantastic cult film that hasn’t had much merchandising in recent years – and we’ve had fans crying out to get their hands on some.”

ViacomCBS names Jennifer Pang vice president and head of licensing for Greater China

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ViacomCBS Consumer Products has appointed Jennifer Pang to lead its business in Greater China. Pang will be based in Hong Kong, reporting to Mark Kingston, senior vice president, International Licensing, while Claire O’Connor, vice president, consumer products and retail marketing, Asia Pacific, will exit the business.

In her role, Pang will lead VCP’s overall licensing business across markets in Greater China for all ViacomCBS franchises. She is responsible for managing the team, VCP’s master licensee agent as well as global partnership activity locally, while sourcing and executing local licensing and promotional deals.

She will also oversee retail sales and marketing, driving revenue through key account management.

Kingston said: “Asia is an important area of focus for us as we continue to engage with our audiences and extend our most loved IPs and brands beyond linear. With Jennifer’s insight and familiarity of the region as well as her expertise, we are looking forward to aggressively pursuing new partnerships and capitalising on opportunities in this key market.”

Pang has over 11 years of experience in licensing, brand management and strategy across Asia. She was most recently with Hasbro Consumer Products where she served as head of category licensing for North Asia, managing the licensing programme for eOne and Hasbro brands.

Prior to that, Pang was with Entertainment One where she was senior director, Licensing – Asia, Family & Brands.

Nickelodeon launches Avatar Studios to for new Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra content

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Nickelodeon has detailed the launch of Avatar Studios, a newly formed division designed to create new animated series and movies based on the Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.

New, original content will bow on platforms including Paramount+, ViacomCBS’s own subscription video-on-demand service, as well as on Nickelodeon’s own linear and digital platforms, and third party platforms and theatres.

The first project from Avatar Studios is slated as an animated theatrical film which is set to being production this year. The new studio will be lead by the original creators and executive producers Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, taking up the roles of co-chief creative officers.

The pair will report into Ramsey Naito, president, Nickelodeon Animation.

“Avatar: The Last Airbender and Korra have grown at least ten-fold in popularity since their original hit runs on Nickelodeon, and Ramsey Naito and I are incredibly excited to have Mike and Bryan’s genius talent on board to helm a studio devoted to expanding their characters and world into new content and formats for fans everywhere,” said Brian Robbins, president, ViacomCBS Kids & Family.

“Creator-driven stories and characters have long been the hallmarks of Nickelodeon, and Avatar Studios is a way to give Mike and Bryan the resources and runway to open up their imaginations even more and dive deeper into the action and mythology of Avatar as we simultaneously expand upon that world and the world of content available on Paramount+ and Nickelodeon.”

Koniettzko and DiMartino, added: “It’s hard to believe it’s been 19 years since we created Avatar: The Last Airbender. But even after all that time, there are still many stories and time periods in Aang’s world that we are eager to bring to life. We are fortunate to have an ever-growing community of passionate fans that enjoys exploring the Avatarverse as much as we do. And with this new Avatar Studios venture we have an unparalleled opportunity to develop our franchise and its storytelling on a vast scale, in myriad exciting ways and mediums.

“We are exceedingly grateful to Brian Robbins and Ramsey Naito for their enthusiasm and respect for the Avatar property and us as its stewards. From the start, they’ve supported our ambitious plans and created a positive, proactive environment for us.

“We’re excited to be back at Nickelodeon where Avatar began, doing what we do best in the biggest way possible. We can’t wait to build the great teams and productions to make all of this fantasy a reality.”

Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender aired for three seasons originally on Nickelodeon, where it began in February 2005 and concluded in July 2008. The series has received the Peabody Award, a Primetime Emmy, Annie Awards and Genesis Awards. The series follows the adventures of the main protagonist Aang and his friends, who must save the world by defeating Fire Lord Ozai and ending the destructive war with the Fire Nation.

Avatar: The Last Airbender emerged from its initial three seasons (61 episodes) as one of the most beloved animated properties in history. In addition to the series’ success, the property also has been translated into a successful comic book and graphic novel series, which continue to roll out new original stories.

The “Avatar: The Last Airbender” graphic novel spent 70 cumulative weeks on the New York Times Graphic Novel Bestseller list, hitting number one. The DVD and Blu-rays are also incredibly successful, with the “Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Complete Series” generating nearly $5MM in retail sales since its 2018 release.

Meanwhile, The Legend of Korra launched in April 2012 on Nickelodeon and ran for four seasons (52 episodes). Its first season premiered as basic cable’s number one kid’s show and drew 3.8 million viewers per episode, the highest for an animated series that year. Created and executive produced by DiMartino and Konietzko, the series is translated in more than 25 languages for Nickelodeon branded channels internationally.

The property has translated into a successful ongoing graphic novel series written by TV series co-creator DiMartino. The first graphic novel storyline, Legend of Korra: Turf Wars, has captured various Top 10 sales spots across children’s fiction, YA science fiction, and graphic novel categories since its debut in 2017.

The story of The Legend of Korra, set in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender 70 years later, follows the journey of Avatar Korra, a 17-year-old girl striving to live up to the legacy of her predecessor Avatar Aang, while using her mastery of all four elements to confront political and spiritual unrest in a modernizing world.

Baby Shark swims into your breakfast cereal thanks to latest Kellogg’s partnership

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Not content with getting stuck firmly in your head, Baby Shark could be swimming in your breakfast bowl thanks to a new partnership between ViacomCBS Consumer Products UK and Kellogg’s for the launch of the Baby Shark Multigrain Cereal.

The partnership marks the first deal between the two in the UK and Irish markets for the popular pre-school property, Baby Shark’s Big Show. The multigrain breakfast cereal – with no artificial flavours or colours, and presumably no real sharks – is now available across Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda, and Aldi.

Pinkfong’s Baby Shark, now an established brand, has experienced instant success across multiple touch points, including UK retail aisles. Through a partnership with SmartStudy, the global entertainment company behind the beloved children’s brand, Pinkfong, ViacomCBS Consumer Products has been managing licensing globally outside of Asia since October 2019.

“Baby Shark has proven itself to be both a YouTube phenomenon and an IP that translates into award winning toys and consumer products programs. We’re thrilled to be entering into this new deal with Kellogg’s which is the first of many in the food and beverages category,” said Venetia Davie, vice president, ViacomCBS Consumer Products UK & Ireland.

Olga Kondratyeva, brand manager at Kellogg’s, added: “We are delighted to be working with ViacomCBS on the exciting launch of Baby Shark Multigrain Cereal. We know Baby Shark is a catchy tune that has captured the hearts of many families and we hope our new cereal will do the same.”

Baby Shark launched on YouTube in November 2015 and took the world by storm, amassing 7.7 billion views and becoming the most-watched video in the platform’s history. With music, characters, story and dance all combined, the song  has been recognised as the only diamond awarded children’s single in the Recording Industry Association of America(RIAA) Gold & Platinum Program history and spawned a viral phenomenon #BabySharkChallenge, generating over one million cover videos around the globe.

In the UK, its TV animated series ‘Baby Shark’s Big Show!’ will be released on Nick Jr. later this year.

Fanattik lands Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles gift license in pan-European deal

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The pop culture specialist, Fanattik, has signed a pan-European gift license with ViacomCBS Consumer Products to develop and launch a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-inspired collection.

The new range will span home decor, barware, gifts, and collectables, all of which will be available from June this year in shops across Europe.

Considered one of the most popular kids’ TV programmes of the 1980s, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was created in 1984 by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird when it made its debut as a successful comic book series before becoming an animated TV series, a live-action TV series, and later spawning four blockbuster movie releases.

“From the comic books in the ’80s to the films of the ’90s and the more recent animated series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a brand with real heritage,” said Anthony Marks, MD, Fanattik.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been translated into a significant consumer products business with toys, apparel, home goods, video games, DVDs and more generating millions at retail.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a top selling action figure and the franchise is a previous recipient of the Toy Industry Association’s top honour for Property of the Year at the TOTY Awards.

“The whole creative team is so looking forward to working on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. With over 90 per cent brand recognition with both male and females under the age of 55 and such a well engaged fan base, the Fanattik team understands that we need to create a range that will appeal fans both new and old,” said Melissa Tudor, head of product development at Fanattik.

“Before it was announced to the team that we had this license the MD bought a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade machine for the office, so we must get this right, otherwise he is going to take it away.”

Mark Kingston, senior vice president, international, ViacomCBS Consumer Products, added: “We’re excited to amplify the Turtles universe with a fully loaded gifting range from Fanattik; with products that will resonate with the broad spectrum of fans from this beloved IP.”

Head of sales, Luiz Ferreira, said: “Fanattik works with all levels of the European gift market so we are asking toy an gift retailers that are not already talking to us to contact myself to book a video appointment so they can learn more about this upcoming Teenage Mutant Nina Turtles range.”

Ferreira can be contacted via Luiz@fanattik.co.uk

Fanattik is a licensee for 20th Century Fox, Microsoft, Capcom, Universal Studios, Capcom, Bethesda, Studio Canal and more.

Fanattik has won numerous awards with the latest being the North West Business Of The Year organised by the Federation of Small Business just prior to Covid.

The Fanattik Jaws bottle opener and Friends premium limited edition pin badge were both nominated for Gift Of The Year 2021.

Nickelodeon teams with the NFL and King Saladeen for SpongeBob SquarePants Junk Food clothing range

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ViacomCBS Consumer Products has struck up a new partnership with the NFL and Junk Food Clothing to launch an NFL x SpongeBob SquarePants Junk Food Collection by King Saladeen. The collection will feature apparel designed by the popular Philadelphia artist, King Saladeen.

Launching today, the collection of styles includes short sleeve t-shirts and hooded fleeces for adults and children by King Saladeen, inspired by the popular animated duo, SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star with designs and logos of the NFL and its clubs.

The launch arrives in support of the special slime-filled presentation of the NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon, airing Sunday, January 10th.

“We are thrilled to produce a collection of apparel in partnership with Nickelodeon, Junk Food Clothing and King Saladeen,” said Rhiannon Madden, VP of consumer products, NFL. “The collection showcases a unique combination of styles and inspirations that will surely excite fans of all ages ahead of the NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon.”

Jose Castro, senior vice president, licensing collaborations and specialty retail, ViacomCBS, added: “The partnership between the NFL, SpongeBob SquarePants, Junk Food and King Saladeen represents the best in fan culture.

“The collection channels the fun, frenetic and fantastical feelings when art, sports and pop culture collide.”

King Saladeen, said: “This collaboration is the perfect mix of Art & Sports to start a brand-new fan in both worlds. They both teach patience and Teamwork while having fun; Every kid needs to experience that. Hopefully this sparks a new level of creativity for the next generation.”

The collection is now available at NFLShop.com, SpongeBobShop.com, Fanatics.com, JunkfoodClothing.com, participating Lid’s stores, and King Saladeen’s online store.

The Royal Mail to launch Star Trek stamp collection this week

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WildBrain CPLG has secured a deal with the Royal Mail for the launch of a new stamp collection based on the iconic sci-fi IP Star Trek.

Thanks to a new deal struck on behalf of ViacomCBS Consumer Products, the new 12 stamp collection will depict captains from six principle Star Trek TV series as well as additional crew members, including Captain James T. Kirk, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Captain Benjamin Sisko, Captain Kathryn Janeway, Captain Jonathan Archer, and Captain Gabriel Lorca.

They are joined by the likes of Spock, Deanna Troi, Julian Bashir, Malcolm Reed, Michael Burnham and Ash Tyler.

A further six stamps, presented in a miniature sheet, feature characters from across the Star Trek movie franchise, all played by British actors: Montgomery Scott; Shinzon; Tolian Soran; Klingon Chancellor Gorkon; Carol Marcus; and Krall.

The 12 main character stamps are new illustrations by London-based artist, Freya Betts; the images portray the iconic characters alongside reflective details, including starships, in the background of their respective series.

Star Trek was created by American writer and producer Gene Roddenberry and first aired on US TV in 1966. The long-running space-opera has so far produced more than 780 TV episodes and 13 movies.

January 2020 saw the launch of Star Trek: Picard, in which Patrick Stewart reprised his iconic role for a new adventure.