US deal could make Peppa a billion-dollar pig

 

She's best known for her flushed cheeks and a love of jumping in muddy puddles.

Peppa pig

Peppa Pig: Fourth highest selling character toy in Britain

Now after taking Britain by storm, Peppa Pig is set to make a massive splash in the US - having signed a deal with toy giant Fisher Price.

The transatlantic alliance is expected to trigger a windfall of as much as £600m ($1bn) for Entertainment One, the company that owns the rights to the hit animated series.

It means that merchandise featuring Peppa, her brother George and friends will hit shopping malls across America in time for Christmas next year.

Entertainment One, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, generated £200m in sales from Peppa toys and games in the UK last year.

But finance director Giles Willits estimates that US sales could be 'two or three times' greater.

He told the Daily Mail: 'It's not as if it'll go from zero to hundreds of millions of dollars in sales overnight. It'll take three to four years to build up the franchise.

'Kids brands aren't about overnight success, they're about building slowly over time.'

Thomas the Tank Engine, he noted, has been a staple in children's playrooms for the best part of six decades, with Bob the Builder nearing the ripe old age of thirty.

Such is Peppa's growing TV audience in the UK and increasingly the US, that Entertainment One could end up adding Bob and Thomas to its roster. The two brands - owned by debt-laden Hit Entertainment - were among a 'whole heap of opportunities' in the fast-consolidating industry, said Mr Willits.

Meanwhile, the Peppa deal will propel Entertainment One into a merchandising market worth £56bn a year, Mr Willits added.

Peppa is the fourth highest selling character toy in Britain - outgunning stalwarts such as Thomas.

The series has picked up more than 500,000 US fans since launching there in February, propelling it into the top ten American pre-school shows.

 
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