UK channel ITVBe broadcasting Pingu in the City on preschool block, Little Be.
Tokyo-based Sony Creative Products – which manages licensing in the Japanese market for Pingu on behalf of Mattel – has confirmed that a new series featuring the popular character has arrived across Europe.
Pingu in the City launched in the Japanese market in October 2017. Following the announcement last year of a new distribution partnership for Pingu with Sony Music Entertainment España – focusing on Europe and Latin America – a number of European broadcast partnerships are on the way, beginning with UK-based free-to-air television channel ITVBe.
Pingu in the City is now airing from Monday to Friday on the channel’s preschool block little Be, twice a day, at 10.15 and 10.25. Earlier this month, extra slots were added at the weekend, bringing Pingu to his UK fans seven days a week.
More announcements on broadcast partners are expected soon.
The success of the new show in Japan has been accompanied by a strong performance in licensing, at retail and also in promotional initiatives.
Collectables, mobile phone accessories, plush and cushions are among recent output, while a Pingu-themed café, a Pingu-themed shopping event, a Christmas collaboration with a popular aquarium in Tokyo, and a collaboration with a women’s lifestyle magazine have all enjoyed strong responses.
“After its success on NHK ETV, Pingu in the City is starting to make inroads into a number of major new territories,” said Takeshi Nakamura, global business group licensing manager at Sony Creative Products. “We’re looking forward to celebrating the delightful penguin’s arrival in many more countries very soon.”
