DQE turns co-producer and licenser

Submitted by ITV Production on Oct 24

MUMBAI: Synonymous with producing iconic properties like The Jungle Book, Peter Pan, Lassie, The Little Prince, Charlie Chaplin and Robin Hood, DQ Entertainment is now all set to add its co-production line-up.

Among the new titles, a CGI children?s animated series called Yonaguni will be co-produced by DQ with SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment and Rollman Entertainment, Burbank, USA. The production and distribution group will also co-produce 7 Dwarfs and Me and the second season of The New Adventures of Peter Pan, and 5 Children and It with Method Animation, France.

DQ sealed the deals during its second fiscal quarter ended 30 September, 2013 and at the recently concluded MIPCOM at Cannes.

Sneak peek at the licensing deals:

1. Discovery Children?s channel has acquired the broadcast rights for Robin Hood animated series for the Indian sub-continent.
2. Nick India has acquired the broadcast rights for The Jungle Book season 1 & 2 for the Indian sub-continent.
3. Nick India has acquired the broadcast rights for Suraj, The Rising Star and Galactic Football for the Indian sub-continent.
4. Sky Italia has acquired the broadcast rights of Peter Pan season 1 for Italy.
5. BBS has acquired the rights to produce Jungle Book party disposables and tableware for Italy, San Marino & Vatican City.
6. Ranocchio Re has acquired the rights to produce Peter Pan Ceramic, Porcelain, Glass, Silver bi-laminate, Resin and Cardboard for the regions Italy, San Marino, Vatican City and Italian-speaking Switzerland.
7. Tendenze srl has acquired the rights to produce Peter Pan apparel for Italy, San Marino and Vatican City.
8. Rai Cinema has acquired the free to air broadcast rights of Peter Pan season 1 for Italy.
9. Universal Music has acquired worldwide music publishing rights of Jungle Book season 2.
10. Escalada has acquired Free TV broadcast rights of Iron Man 2 and Peter Pan for Malaysia.
11. Simbasat, UK has acquired broadcast rights of Iron Man 2 for Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, Mauritius and French-speaking Africa.
12. 2 x 2 has acquired broadcast rights of Iron Man 2 for Russia.
13. Green Narae Media has acquired Home Video rights of Jungle Book 2 and Peter Pan for Korea.
14. Showtime Attraction, L&M partner in Australia for Jungle Book and Peter Pan for the category of Costume Character Appearance, have extended the term for Jungle Book by one year.
15. Jungle Book Toy Deals:
? Habuba Clip for Israel
? TRU Dubai for Dubai
? Hunter Leisure for Australia
? Prima Toys for South Africa
? Scandi Toys for Scandinavia
? Ho's Team- Shoprite for South Africa

?The gross value of these co-production and licensing deals between partners is approximately Rs 2, 220 million, of which, approximately Rs 720 million is attributable to DQE and expected to be accrued as revenue over the next fiscal year ending 31 March 2015,? says DQ Entertainment CEO Tapaas Chakravarti.

Sky Italia, Discovery Kids, Nick India and Rai Cinema among others have acquired the broadcast rights for various properties produced by DQE says Tapaas Chakravarti

Like Yonaguni, 5 Children and It too is a CGI children?s animated series comprising 52 11' episodes while 7 Dwarfs and Me, a combination of CGI and live action images, is a hybrid animation show. The second season of The New Adventures of Peter Pan rides on the success of the first season of the Peter Pan television series that was distributed in over 100 countries, being one of the highest rated TV series in France, Germany and Italy.

But how does the new portfolio fit into the company?s profile? ?7 Dwarfs and Me, The New Adventures of Peter Pan 2 and 5 Children and It, fit in very nicely with the DQ portfolio of iconic properties. Also Yonaguni is an underwater adventure with SeaWorld theme parks from the US,? says Chakravarti, adding that the company is expected to enter production shortly for delivery in 2015.

Co-production apart, DQ has also concluded several licensing deals. ?Various well-known broadcasters such as Sky Italia, Discovery Kids, Nick India and Rai Cinema, among others, have acquired the broadcast rights for various properties produced by DQE,? says Chakravarti and adds, ?The categories of the licensing deals vary from broadcast and music rights to character licensing for manufacture of merchandise such as toys, clothes etc.?

This year, DQ has entered Latin American countries through its flagship intellectual property, The Jungle Book. ?Globosat-Brazil, Cannal Encuentro-Argentina and Televisa-Mexico have already acquired the broadcast rights of the property while DQE?s other properties are also expected to make entry into these markets soon,? says Chakravarti.

In addition, DQ is working on ways to leverage its large library of properties through SVOD and mobile platforms. ?We are currently in discussion with YouTube to find ways of monetising animated content through a dedicated channel showcasing our global and domestic properties. We believe these platforms will play a very significant role in reaching a large and diversified audience in the future,? says Chakravarti.
The company has also launched a game app of its IP, The Jungle Book, called ?The Great Escape? for the android platform. ?We plan to launch similar games and apps on android and iOS platforms for other IPs such as Peter Pan, 5 Children and It etc. soon,? he adds.

It is learnt that the production deals will add to the bottom line of the company, first quarter of the next fiscal year onward, while realisation of the licensing and broadcast revenues is expected to continue through the subsequent quarters.

In case you thought that?s it, the company has some more production and licensing deals waiting in the wings...