BBC Studios’ hot dogs

BBC Studios’ hot dogs aim for best in show!

Award-winning children’s animation series Bluey and Hey Duggee are the biggest draw for BBC Studios licensing programme at BLE.

New series of Bluey and Hey Duggee have recently debuted on Disney+ and BBC iPlayer respectively and are the standout brands on offer from BBC Studios, in a portfolio which also includes Doctor Who, Top Gear, Only Fools and Horses and BBC Earth.

The much-loved preschool hits have benefited from a licensing strategy built on BBC Studios global infrastructure and a network of broadcasters, agents, and licensees around the world.

Bluey’s third series recently launched

on Disney+ around the world, following a premiere on ABC in its native Australia. The show’s fanbase has grown rapidly since launching in 2018 and the licensing programme is still relatively young with products launching in the US in 2020, UK last year and expansion in EMEA throughout 2022 and into 2023. The latest UK figures from NPD for YTD June 2022 show that Bluey is the #1 new property in the total toy market in value sales. BBC Studios have signed up an impressive roster of global partners including master toy partner Moose Toys and master publisher Penguin Random House as well as multi-territory deals with Crayola, Hasbro, Ravensburger, Stor, Amscan International Limited and VTech.

Andrew Carley, Director, Global Licensing at BBC Studios, says: “We have great partners on board for Bluey, who understand the DNA of the brand and are committed to the same values as us. This goes as much for our regional licensees and licensing agents as for our global partners. We recognise that longevity is built on ensuring the CP programme captures the unique essence of the TV show.

“With our existing infrastructure of multiple international licensing offices, relationships with leading licensing agencies and regional licensing specialists, BBC Studios is ideally placed to build long-term global licensing programmes, and that’s what we’re doing for Bluey.”

Hey Duggee, now on its fourth series and with a recently announced theatre tour beginning in December, also has a solid platform for growth, but is more rooted in the UK market, with plans to replicate its success in new territories. Andrew adds: “The rollout of Hey Duggee is led by broadcast partners and we have appointed leading broadcasters including Clan and France 5 (in Spain and France) with the consumer products programme following that roadmap – our next step is to build on the launch programme in Spain.

“We have a strong presence at retail in the UK as well as Hey Duggee albums through Demon Music and a new theme park attraction at CBeebies Land at Alton Towers Resort. Later this year we’ll be taking Hey Duggee The Live Theatre Show on tour around the UK, following a Christmas run at London’s Southbank Centre.”

The launch of BBC Studios’ new Kids & Family division will also deliver a new pipeline of content which will rely on the same global infrastructure and international reputation in order to drive new business.

BLE offers a chance for BBC Studios to showcase its winning brands and the formula for success which is rooted in its quality content and global reach.