Spain’s Zinkia has signed a major TV and licensing deal with Mexican media company Grupo Televisa for its award-winning CG-animated preschool series Pocoyo. This latest agreement, inked this week at the MIPTV market in Cannes, extends the property’s reach across more than 100 territories including Canada, the U.K., Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Portugal, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and in a number of countries in the Middle East.
Pocoyo revolves around a three-year-old child with an insatiable curiosity. Joined by friends Elly the pink elephant, Pato the yellow duck, Loula the loyal puppy and Sleepy Bird, he takes young viewers on a voyage of discovery about life and learning with narration by acclaimed actor Stephen Fry. In 2006, the show received the top award for TV productions at the Annecy International Film Festival, as well as a BAFTA for Best Preschool Animation and Cartoons on the Bay is Pulcinella Awards for Best European Program and Best TV Series for Preschool.
The series will debut this summer on leading Latin American broadcaster Televisa, which will handle all TV and licensing rights for the show in Mexico. A toy deal is currently being negotiated with the goal of getting Pocoyo toys on shelves in Mexico for Christmas 2008. A home entertainment deal has also been signed with top Mexican DVD distributor Tycoon, which is to release a Pocoyo DVD collection in August.
Other Latin American deals signed recently by Zinkia for Pocoyo include a pan-Latin American publishing deal with Planeta and a licensing deal with Exim, which is handling all Latin American territories excluding Mexico.
Pocoyo is co-produced by Zinkia and Granada International. Granada handles worldwide distribution rights with the exclusion of Spain, Portugal, Italy and Latin America, where rights are managed by Zinkia. In Latin America, Zinkia works in conjunction with specialist agent Hola Ent. to broker all TV and home entertainment deals.
