Viacom18 Licence Deal

DQ Entertainment plc

Viacom18 inks deal with DQ Entertainment plc to launch exclusiveJungle Book Merchandise in India

~ Merchandise range to include Jungle Book themed apparel, toys, books and much more ~

Viacom18 Consumer Products division is all set to bring all the jungle fun associated with the iconic Mowgli, Bagheera, Balloo and Sher Khan as it inks an exclusive deal to represent the rights as a master licensee to launch merchandise for DQ Entertainment's Jungle Book in India. This would be Viacom18's second deal into representing brands outside the Viacom portfolio. Viacom18 plans to roll out products by the end of the year. The show currently airs on Nickelodeon.

The Jungle Book, penned by Rudyard Kipling is a children's classic that has captured the imagination of millions of children across the world over the years. The lovable central character, Mowgli has been a mainstay of many a childhood story telling session for his fun filled antics involving his animal friends Bagheera and Balloo and his nemesis Sher Khan. A story of friendship and the victory of good over evil, The Jungle Book will always remain a favourite with generations to come. The exclusive Jungle Book merchandise will cover a whole range of products from apparel to accessories and from toys to books. To be promoted through Viacom18's distribution network, the products will be available across all leading kids and toy stores, both across malls and standalone stores.

Speaking about the exclusive deal, Saugato Bhowmik, Head - Consumer Products, Viacom18 said, "The Jungle Book is a great franchise with characters that are familiar, iconic and loved by children across the world. DQ Entertainment's Jungle Book presents the characters in a fun and livelier manner which make the products more endearing and attractive to the consumers. We're sure our consumers will appreciate the merchandise for both its look and the quality."

Tapaas Chakravarti, CEO of DQ Entertainment said, "Our partnership with Viacom18's Consumer Products division adds to the list of best-in-class partners that The Jungle Book has attracted globally. The Jungle Book has successfully managed to increase its market for the fourth consecutive year with Broadcast in more than 165 countries and over 300 product categories ranging from Books, Apparels, Toys, Plush, Bags, Stationery and many others. We are sure children will love the merchandise of their favorite Jungle characters, brought to them by Viacom18."

Viacom 18 introduced the Consumer Products division a few years ago and today it has gone up notches in both kid and non-kid categories. Particularly for the kids' franchise, the company has significantly added to its presence in this domain in the past two years with the success of its channels which offer entertainment from tots to teens.

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