BKN International AG’s, UK subsidiary BKN New Media Ltd announced on 13 February â€?06 that it has sealed two new major TV broadcast deals with GMTV in the United Kingdom and RTL II in Germany as well as a pan-European master toy deal with Character Group for its animated action comedy series DORK HUNTERS FROM OUTER SPACE.
GMTV has acquired two seasons, totaling 36 all-new episodes of DORK HUNTERS FROM OUTER SPACE and is set to premiere the animated action comedy series on free -TV GMTV1 from 2008.
Clive Crouch, Sales and Marketing Director, GMTV said: “In an increasingly competitive market, we have become very selective with our acquisitions. GMTV is thrilled to acquire Seasons 1 and 2 of DORK HUNTERS FROM OUTER SPACE and we expect the series to further strengthen our impressive kidsâ€? line up.”
RTL II is also extremely selective in its choices and has confirmed that DORK HUNTERS FROM OUTER SPACE is set to launch on free-TV RTL II in late 2007.
“BKNâ€?s latest animated action comedy series DORK HUNTERS FROM OUTER SPACE is funny and entertaining with a distinctive fresh look,” said Andrea Lang, Head of RTL IIâ€?s Childrenâ€?s Department. “Our young viewers are very savvy and know what they like. We believe that the look of the show will catch our audienceâ€?s eye, whilst the humour and plot will capture their imagination.”
In conjunction with the TV broadcast deals with GMTV and RTL II, a pan-European master toy contract was signed with children�s toys and games company Character Group plc, the licensing company behind Doctor Who and Scooby-Doo among others in the UK and Europe.
Character Group plc will launch in late summer 2008. At this stage they will license all standard “master toy” products, such as basic plush; feature plush; action figures; toy vehicles and accessories; playsets; activity, arts & crafts; interactive toys; boardgames; toy writing and school instruments; toy accessories including lipstick and make-up.
“DORK HUNTERS FROM OUTER SPACE is poised to capture European viewers and we look forward to rolling out our pan-European toy product line that reflects the fun and creative characters within the show,” commented Jon Diver, Character Group plcâ€?s Joint Managing Director. “We envision a full European roll-out in late summer 2008 and we see DORK HUNTERS FROM OUTER SPACE as a strategic cornerstone for our extensive branding initiatives.”
Nicola Andrews, Sales Director, BKN New Media said: “The broadcast of DORK HUNTERS FROM OUTER SPACE in the UK and Germany reflect a key component of our European marketing strategy. GMTV and RTL II provide exceptional broadcast platforms for the series while Character Group is the obvious choice as our licensing partner in Europe. These strong commitments from major European companies are the major reason why we expanded the DORK HUNTERS FROM OUTER SPACE brand by 38% to 36 episodes from the previously announced 26 episodes at MIPCOM. We look forward to forging relationships with new licensees throughout the international arena.”
