Entertainment One (eOne) has landed the worldwide distribution rights for YouTube’s megahit Simon’s Cat cross all media including, TV, Home Entertainment, Licensing and Online.
Created by British artist Simon Tofield, Simon’s Cat was first introduced in March of 28 as an animated YouTube short. The series and comic-book collection features the hilarious antics of a hungry, fat white cat and his owner Simon. With 1.72 million subscribers on its core YouTube channel, Simon’s Cat shorts have generated 358 million views online to date.
“This deal marks eOne’s first major step towards the development of licensing programs for brands conceived in the non-linear space for a broader audience,” says Olivier Dumont, managing director at eOne Licensing & eOne Family. “Online content is being consumed by audiences around the world like never before, thus creating a unique sort of brand awareness that we’re eager to harness. The brilliantly funny Simon’s Cat is a perfect illustration of this strategic move and while we remain focused on the traditional approach of licensing TV properties, we’re excited to embark on this new frontier.”
Building on eOne Licensing’s success with brands including preschool-phenom Peppa Pig, this deal will see the company extend its portfolio to pop culture brands targeted at a wider demographic beyond the Kids space.
eOne Licensing will bring Simon’s Cat to Licensing Expo in Las Vegas this June.
