DHX Media, a leading global children’s content and brands company has announced a distribution deal with Virgin TV UK for streaming (SVOD) rights in the UK and Ireland, and linear rights for its Irish network, TV3 Ireland, for a total of 615 half-hours of content.
DHX Media senior director of sales (Germany, Switzerland, France, UK digital and multi-territory digital) Wiebke Hoefer said, “We are thrilled to have signed our third and largest deal to date with Virgin TV, reinforcing our position as a go-to provider of kids’ content to the world’s top SVOD and linear broadcasters. Virgin TV offers an excellent platform for kids in this market, and we are thrilled that their viewers will be able to enjoy a great selection of our library titles, plus the latest original, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.”
A total of 30 titles from DHX Media’s library have been licensed on a non-exclusive basis. The deal includes seasons 15 to 19 of Bob the Builder, as well as nine specials. There are also seasons six to nine of Fireman Sam and three specials. Meanwhile, the deal also includes seasons one to five of In the Night Garden, seven Air Bud movies and DHX Media original, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, bringing more popular kids’ content to the catalogue for Virgin TV and TV3 viewers to enjoy.
Virgin TV chief digital entertainment officer David Bouchier said, “We are very excited to have concluded our biggest kids’ programming deal to date, covering over 600 half-hours of some of the most loved kids’ characters. The addition of multiple seasons of Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam and In the Night Garden, as well as full-length movies, really does underline our commitment to a market-leading kids’ offer for Virgin TV.”
He also added, “Our youngest viewers have never had a broader, bigger and more diverse choice of entertainment! Kids’ content is a clear focus for us at Virgin TV and it is great to have DHX Media on board as key a supplier to bring children and their parents more of the programming that they want to watch.”