Mumbai: Lionsgate has extended its relationship with the intellectual property and outbound licensing division of American Greetings Corporation, American Greetings Properties by acquiring the exclusive North American home entertainment distribution rights to numerous titles based on the beloved Care Bears.
Additionally, Lionsgate has acquired the home entertainment distribution rights to the CBS television series based on the all-new American Greetings Property, Sushi Pack, which follows four pieces of sushi and a wad of wasabi who are brought to life with special powers to help rid the world of evil. Through the deal, Lionsgate obtains the rights to distribute the titles on DVD and electronic sell-through.
The announcement was made by Lionsgate Home Entertainment executive vice president of marketing Anne Parducci and American Greetings Intellectual Property Group president & CEO Josef Mandelbaum.
Having been a core distributor of Care Bears product for the last five years – including the classic television series and direct-to-DVD CGI-animated features – Lionsgate is significantly expanding its Care Bears content through this deal. The studio has obtained the distribution rights to 48 episodes of the all-new Care Bears television series, "Care Bears: Adventures In Care-A-Lot," along with an all-new Care Bears CGI-animated movie scheduled to launch in Fall 2009 in addition to its rights to the Classic Care Bears catalog.
According to Parducci, expanding their relationship with American Greetings Properties has been a major priority for them in the family entertainment area. He said, "The Care Bears have been an important and successful brand in our family entertainment portfolio for the last five years and we wanted to complement our existing product with new content. The new Care Bears television series and CGI movie are just the type of releases that the ever-growing fan base of parents and children are seeking from this beloved property – and Hasbro’s participation as the new master toy licensee promises to take the brand to even greater heights. We are also impressed with what the American Greetings Properties has accomplished in a very limited time with the new Sushi Pack property and look forward to participating in growing the brand into a kid’s favorite."
"We are very excited to team up with Lionsgate and include new character brands and additional Care Bears entertainment," said Mandelbaum. "These new entertainment releases will undoubtedly be a hit with both kids and parents alike and we look forward to a continued collaborative relationship to support these character brands in the marketplace."
