Pittsburgh, PA, May 24, 2022 – Fred Rogers Productions, the award-winning children’s educational media organization behind multiple Emmy®-winning PBS KIDS series, and 9 Story Brands, the worldwide licensing agent for Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, are again expanding the ”Neighborhood” for the beloved hit animated series with 16 new and existing licensing partners. The upcoming product offerings will span multiple categories, from apparel to books, sporting goods to food and beverages, and more. In addition to signing exciting new deals, Fred Rogers Productions and 9 Story have finalized contract renewals with master publishing partner Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing as well as current licensees Cottage Door Press (sound books), Happy Threads (apparel), Komar (pajamas), Playmonster (Colorforms), and University Games (games).
“Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood continues to be a favorite with preschoolers and their families nearly a decade after making its on-screen debut, and our consumer products program has been growing steadily to meet demand for more ways for fans to experience the brand off-screen,” said Matt Shiels, Vice President of Legal and Business Affairs for Fred Rogers Productions. “We’re very excited to work with these outstanding companies to provide terrific new products that will deepen kids’ connection to the brand.”
“As we celebrate Daniel Tiger’s 10th anniversary, it’s exciting to see the demand for our consumer products program continue to grow,” says Kyra Halperin, co-VP of Consumer Products for 9 Story Brands. “We’re thrilled to be working with leading partners on such a diverse range of products to bring kids their favorite tiger in new and meaningful ways.”
New consumer products partners for Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood include:
- CreateOn – Magnatiles magnetic toys
- Glo – Sensory toys
- Good2Grow – Consumables, drinks
- Isaac Morris – Apparel
- PACT – Apparel
- Pioneer Life Sciences – Vitamins
- Spirit – Kohl’s Cares plush
- Tonies – Audio toy, which has been named to the Spring & Summer 2022 Influencer Choice List by The Toy Association and Clamour
- Waloo Products – Sporting goods
- Weatherman – Umbrellas
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is distributed in 180+ countries and has expanded beyond the screen to include more than 40 licensees, two live-action stage shows, and an amusement park ride plus award-winning web games, top-rated apps for parents and children, and outreach events with public television stations across the country. In February 2022, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood was the #1 PBS KIDS show for kids ages 2-8 across broadcast and digital with over 47 million streams on the PBS KIDS Video app. *
*TV Source: Nielsen National Toolbox NTI Broadcast months, GAA%, Reach% (75% Uni, 1+ Qual.). Telecast counts from Carriage 2.0. Digital Sources: comScore visitors and Google Analytics streams, Selected months 2020- 2021, 2021-2022
About Fred Rogers Productions
Fred Rogers Productions was founded by Fred Rogers in 1971 as the non-profit producer of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood for PBS. In the years that followed, it created hundreds of episodes of this much-loved program and extended Fred’s values and approach to other efforts in promoting children’s social, emotional, and behavioral health while supporting parents, caregivers, teachers, and other professionals in their work with children. Fred Rogers Productions continues to build on Fred’s legacy in innovative ways through a wide variety of media and engages new generations of children and families with his timeless wisdom. The company’s highly-rated children’s series, including Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Peg + Cat, Odd Squad, and Through the Woods, have earned 30 Emmy® Awards among other important honors. Newly launched in 2021 on PBS KIDS is Donkey Hodie, the innovative puppet series inspired by characters from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood; and most recently Alma’s Way, an animated series created by Sonia Manzano, known to generations of children and adults as “Maria” on Sesame Street. For more information, visit www.fredrogers.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
About 9 Story Brands
9 Story Brands is the dedicated brand management and consumer products division of 9 Story Media Group, a leading content creator, producer and distributor of kids and family focused intellectual property. 9 Story Brands builds international entertainment brands for kids, with expertise across creative, brand marketing and licensing. 9 Story Brands manages merchandising rights for top children’s properties including Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Clifford The Big Red Dog, Colorforms, Wild Kratts, Super Why! and Karma’s World. www.9story.com
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Press contacts:
Grand Communications (for Fred Rogers Productions) Alison Grand
212-584-1133; Alison@grandcommunications.com
Laura Liebeck
845-440-7974; Laura@grandcommunications.com