Agency to represent licensing rights to superhero adventure series in the U.S. and Canada
New York, NY – February 2, 2023 – WildBrain CPLG, one of the world’s leading entertainment, sport and brand licensing agencies, has secured representation rights to Mediawan Kids & Family’s new superhero adventure series, Petronix Defenders (52 x 13’), in the U.S. and Canada. Under its dedicated North America office, WildBrain CPLG will build a cross-category consumer products program aimed at kids aged 4-8 years, with target categories including publishing, apparel and role-play accessories, alongside digital gaming and commercial tie-ins. Petronix Defenders is produced by Method Animation (part of Mediawan Kids & Family) and premiered in the U.S. in October 2022 on Discovery Family and its Spanish-language counterpart, Discovery Familia. The series also launched on WildBrain Television’s Family Jr. channel in Canada last month. The series is also available on YouTube Kids in the U.S. with a special content deal.
Building off the WildBrain Television relationship, WildBrain CPLG has been appointed to expand the Petronix Defenders brand through consumer products in key kids’ and family categories, augmenting Mediawan’s pre-existing toy partnership with Alpha Toys, to bring yet more fans into the world of Petronix Defenders.
In the series, the Petronix Defenders (Emma, Jia, Tim and Matt), along with their high-tech pets, use their supercharged backpacks to defend animals—after all, animal problems sometimes need animal solutions.
Receiving special alerts from around the globe about animals requiring assistance—from a polar bear cub needing a boost in the Arctic, to a struggling blue whale in Bali—these superheroes are up for any mission! The Petronix Defenders not only care about animals, but also about the environment in which they live in.
Jasen Wright, VP North America at WildBrain CPLG, said: “As we continue expanding our entertainment portfolio in the U.S. and Canada, it’s fantastic to join forces with Mediawan and welcome Petronix Defenders into our roster. Petronix Defenders has quickly captured the imaginations of kids, thanks to its strong broadcast presence and compelling blend of superheroes, wild animals and focus on protecting the environment. With the series’ rapidly growing popularity and increasing global footprint, we see significant potential for consumer product extensions to bring the action-packed Petronix Defenders to life for fans beyond the screen.”
Erick Rouillé, SVP Co-Productions, Business Development & Licensing at Mediawan Kids & Family, said: “We’re thrilled to partner with such a leading agency as WildBrain CPLG and rely on their strong experience to develop our Petronix Defenders brand strategy in the U.S. and Canada. Petronix Defenders is a major brand within the growing business activities of Mediawan Kids & Family, and we’re confident that WildBrain CPLG’s support and expertise will ensure a successful licensing program alongside our master toy partner, Alpha Toys.”
Katie Wilson VP, Channels and Acquisitions for WildBrain Television, added: “When Mediawan Kids and Family first introduced us to Petronix Defenders, we saw a terrific opportunity for WildBrain CPLG to expand the brand for audiences through consumer products. We’re delighted now to be working with Mediawan on this exciting new brand across both broadcast and licensing so that kids can enjoy Petronix Defenders both on and off screen.”
WildBrain CPLG’s entertainment portfolio in North America also features Moose Toys’ Magic Mixies and Crayola, alongside WildBrain’s proprietary brands, including Teletubbies, Chip & Potato, Strawberry Shortcake and Caillou.
For more information, please contact:
Aimée Norman at The DDA Group
aimee.norman@ddapr.com
+44 (0) 7957 564 050
About WildBrain CPLG
WildBrain CPLG is a world-leading entertainment, sport and brand licensing agency, with offices in the UK, Europe, India, the Middle East, the US and Asia. With over 45 years of experience in the licensing industry, WildBrain CPLG provides its clients with dedicated licensing and marketing professionals and fully integrated product development, legal and accounting services. WildBrain CPLG believes that collaboration is about clarity, openness and trust, and is widely known for its no-nonsense, straightforward approach. The agency’s ASPIRE division is a leader in Corporate & Lifestyle brand representation and management. WildBrain CPLG is part of WildBrain Ltd., a global leader in kids’ and family entertainment. Please contact us or visit the WildBrain CPLG website for more information: www.cplg.com.
About Method Animation (Mediawan Kids & Family)
For more than 25 years, Method Animation has been the leading producer of animated TV series for all audiences, from preschoolers to adults, with strong IPs such as worldwide hit Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir (in co-production with ZAG), Robin Hood – Mischief in Sherwood, Petronix Defenders… Kids’ and families’ favorites and beloved IPs are at the heart of Method Animation. The company has also a strong track record in adult animation, with the 2006 cult animated tech noir film Renaissance, using a groundbreaking style of motion capture animation, that won the Cristal Award in Annecy the same year, and the 2011 science-fiction psychological thriller The Prodigies.
About Mediawan
Created in late 2015 by Pierre-Antoine Capton, Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse, Mediawan is one of the main independent European studios producing audiovisual content. The Group brings together best-in-class talents in audiovisual creation by operating on the entire value chain: production of drama, unscripted, documentary, cinema and animated original content, thanks to over 60 production labels in France, Germany (partnership with LEONINE Studios since 2020), England, Italy, Spain, the United States, the Netherlands, Finland and Senegal (Mediawan Studios), distribution of audiovisual content (Mediawan Rights, LS Distribution and Telmondis Distribution) and publishing of channels and digital services (Mediawan Thematics) as well as the development and production of digital content (Mediawan Digital Studios).