German brand management and media company m4e AG and Spanish-Italian entertainment company Planeta Junior S.L. (a joint venture between DeAgostini and Grupo Planeta) are teaming up in a long-term co-production, distribution and licensing & merchandising agreement.
The deal will see rights sharing for Planeta Junior’s IPs and some of m4e’s new projects, as well as mutual distribution of each other’s catalogs. Planeta Junior will mainly handle France and Southern Europe, with m4e covering Central & Northern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, North America, Africa and the Middle East. Eastern Europe will be tackled jointly.
The agreement will help the two companies build a leading global business by combining their teams into a strong international network. The new venture will have a substantial presence through offices in eight European countries, with an expansion into additional major territories in the pipeline. Planeta Junior and m4e are in the process of developing new, joint branding for the venture.
Among Planeta Junior and m4e’s animation brands are Mutant Busters, Bubble Bip, Sendokai Champions, Mia and Me, Tip the Mouse and Miffy, among others.
