New international broadcast deals secured

London, 6 October 2016: Acamar Films and its global distribution partner Aardman have signed a string of key international broadcast deals to take the award-winning pre-school series Bing to new channels globally.

Bing, Flop and his adored cast of friends continue their worldwide travels, with the series recently launching on Zappelin in Netherlands, Poland’s Canal + and BBC Worldwide in Africa. The series is also set to air on Nick Jnr in Australia, Disney Junior in South East Asia and Latvia’s LTV. The deals were negotiated by Aardman’s Rights and Brand Development division.

These channels join current broadcast partners for Bing including: CBeebies in the UK, Australia’s ABC, S4C in Wales, Irish broadcaster RTE, SVT in Sweden, DR in Denmark, Gulli and TiJi in France (part of the Lagadere Group), Clan in Spain, Portugal’s Canal Panda, Norwegian broadcaster NRK, New Zealand’s TVNZ, and HOP in Israel. The series also airs across Eastern Europe via Minimax and reaches Belgian audiences via broadcaster VRT.

Ashley O’Kane, Director of Sales and Marketing says: “The global appetite for Bing is perennial and the latest deals highlight the continued international appeal of the series. We’re absolutely delighted that new audiences will journey with Bing on his pre-school adventures.”

Alison Taylor, Head of Sales and Acquisitions at Aardman added: “We are delighted to be announcing further sales for Bing in even more of our key territories.  It’s always good to see our clients’ enthusiasm for new content and they certainly seem excited about sharing Bing with their audiences. It’s fantastic to see so many broadcasters realising the charm and originality of the series, and the many opportunities the brand presents.”

Produced by independent studio Acamar Films and Dublin-based partners Brown Bag Films, Bing has seen extraordinary success since it launched last year. The series won an International Emmy Award in the Kids Pre-school category in 2016, a Writer’s Guild Award and a BAFTA nomination for best Pre-School Series.

Bing has consistently topped the animation charts. The first two Bing DVDs have sold a chart-topping 327,000 units since launching in May 2015, highlighting Bing’s unique appeal and resonance with an ever-growing audience of both pre-school children and the grown-ups in their lives.

With 19 licensees already committed to developing the UK Bing licensing programme, alongside global partners Fisher Price and HarperCollins, new additions across key categories will soon be announced in line with airing of TV series and appointment of agents, to develop local licensing campaigns around the globe.

Bing has been adapted for television from the insightful books by award-winning author and illustrator Ted Dewan.

For further information, please contact:

Janet Balmforth at DDA Blueprint

Tel: + 44 (0) 20 8868 0511 or email janet@ddablueprint.com

About Acamar Films:

Acamar Films was founded in 2005 to create and produce film and television projects to “move and delight audiences worldwide”. Its CEO Mikael Shields has over 25 years’ experience and an international reputation for identifying, developing, financing and producing a wide range of hit film and television projects including Nick Park’s Oscar and BAFTA winning Wallace & Gromit, Aardman’s Rex The Runt, Candy Guard’s Pond Life, Pingu, Noddy, BAFTA winner Hilltop Hospital and Flatworld. Prior to co-founding Acamar he has held senior management positions at the BBC, EVA Entertainment, Pearson, Atom Films and Ealing Studios.

About Aardman

Aardman, based in Bristol (UK) co-founded and run by Peter Lord and David Sproxton, is a world leader in animation. It produces feature films, series, advertising and digital entertainment for both the domestic and international market. Their multi-award winning productions are novel, entertaining, brilliantly characterised and full of charm that reflects the unique talent, energy and personal commitment of the very special people who make up the Aardman team. The studio’s work is often imitated and yet the company continues to lead the field producing a rare brand of visually stunning and amusing independent and commercials productions. www.aardman.com

About Aardman Rights and Brand Development

Aardman Rights and Brand Development are renowned for developing and building enduring character brands across all media. They specialise in marketing and realising the commercial potential of their properties in a way that celebrates and respects their intrinsic creative values. Classic brands in the portfolio include Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Morph, while the international sales division have recently acquired third party representation for a number of top children’s brands. www.aardman.com/rights

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