Los Angeles – Entertainment management and production company The Collective has appointed HIP (Henson Independent Properties), The Jim Henson Company’s third party licensing banner, as the exclusive international distributor of the Annoying Orange broadcast series.
The deal, which marks HIP’s first third-party property for media distribution, will include television, home entertainment and digital platforms. HIP introduced the hit television programme, currently airing its first season on the Cartoon Network in the United States, to international broadcasters at MIPCOM and MIPJunior last week, where it received an overwhelming worldwide response. HIP will also bring Annoying Orange to Singapore’s Asia Television Forum in December.
Reza Izad, partner at The Collective, said, “Given their strong portfolio and track record, we feel that Henson Independent Properties is the perfect choice to help us expand Annoying Orange’s presence on a global scale. With Annoying Orange’s hugely successful launch in the U.S. on Cartoon Network, we can’t wait for the rest of the world to see how we transformed the web show into a hit TV series.”
“Our company has a long legacy of launching unique and irreverent characters and worlds to the international market,” said Richard Goldsmith, EVP, Global Distribution for The Jim Henson Company. “Annoying Orange has a fresh visual look and a distinctive writing style that has already proved itself to resonate with viewers. It is sure to attract a great deal of interest from programme buyers and audiences everywhere.”
Annoying Orange took the Internet by storm when it launched in YouTube in October 2009. It debuted its animated TV series on Cartoon Network in June this year, and has since become an instant hit in the U.S., continually ranking amongst the top shows for boys in the time period.
The global television distribution comes as The Collective also expands its licensing programme for Annoying Orange internationally with several new deals to be unveiled in the coming weeks. An “a-peeling” line of Annoying Orange products including toys, apparel, graphic novels, accessories and novelties, among other items have been a huge draw at U.S. retailers such as Toys “R” Us and JCPenney since launching last year.
