BBC Studios expands Hey Duggee toy range
BBC Studios is delighted to announce it has struck a deal with MV Sports, the UK’s leading designer in licensed wheeled toys. MV Sports will produce a range of Hey Duggee branded scooters, ride-ons and bikes.
The first wave of product will launch at retail this Autumn. Additionally, existing Hey Duggee toy partner HTI will launch a new role play range in 2022. Both deals mark a growing range of toy licensees for Hey Duggee.
HTI were brought on board earlier this year to create a range of licensed Hey Duggee outdoor toys, including The Bubble Flurry, Bubble Bucket and Patio Chairs. Other Hey Duggee categories due to launch later this year courtesy of HTI include character shaped cases, which include a medical set and stampers of key character and a range of musical instruments. HTI will continue to invest in its Hey Duggee role play toy range, with more tooled products set to launch in 2022 and beyond.
Devised by Studio AKA, the multiple BAFTA and Emmy award-winning preschool series Hey Duggee was the most-watched kids’ show of the year on BBC iPlayer in 2020 with over 192 million requests. Year to date in 2021, Hey Duggee continues to be a top performing children’s show on BBC iPlayer and CBeebies each month. Additionally, the official Hey Duggee YouTube channel recently surpassed over one million subscribers.
Julie Kekwick, Senior Licensing Manager at BBC Studios says: “I am thrilled to have MV Sports and HTI on board. Their products reflect Hey Duggee’s core brand essence of encouraging imaginative play and fun outdoor adventure and I’m in no doubt fans will love them. The ever increasing popularity of the show is reflected in sales of licensed consumer products. NPD recently reported Hey Duggee toy sales doubling year on year in the first 3 months of 2021. This success can be attributed to our Master Toy partner Golden Bear seeing UK Trade sales grow by 97% in 2020 and an order book showing an increase of 70% so far in 2021.”
Phil Ratcliff, joint managing director at MV Sports adds: “We are delighted to be partnering with BBC Studios on Hey Duggee! With an exceptional time slot on CBeebies, outstanding BBC iPlayer ratings and a history of strong toy sales, Hey Duggee is showing all the signs of becoming a classic. Loved by both parents and children alike, Hey Duggee has the perfect awareness profile for strong and sustained wheeled and outdoor toy sales.”
Additionally, Hey Duggee also has an impressive global footprint in over 150 territories, and licensing agents and European toy partners have recently been secured for both France and Spain, with launches planned for later this year.
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For more information, please contact: frances.cherry-becker@bbc.com and ali.laurie@bbc.com
NOTES TO EDITORS
About BBC Studios
BBC Studios, a global content company with bold British creativity at its heart, is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC Group. Able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen and beyond, its activities span content financing, development, production, sales, branded services, and ancillaries across both its own productions, and programmes and formats made by high-quality UK independents. Award-winning British programmes made by the business are internationally recognised across a broad range of genres and specialisms, with brands like Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with the Stars, Top Gear, Doctor Who and Bluey. BBC Studios has offices in 22 markets globally, including ten production bases in the UK and production bases or partnerships in a further nine countries around the world. The company, which ordinarily makes around 2500 hours of content a year for both the BBC and third parties including Apple, Amazon and China Mobile, is a champion for British creativity around the world. It is also a committed partner for the UK’s independent sector through a mix of equity partnerships, content investment and international distribution for programme titles. To the BBC, BBC Studios contributes both cash dividends and funds for programme-making, supporting the licence fee and enhancing programmes for UK audiences.