The German media companies — Studio 100 Media and m4e have signed a deal with Viacom18 Media that sees the animated preschool series Wissper debuting in India along with a consumer products roll-out.
India’s leading Hindi entertainment channel has secured all rights for TV, digital and home entertainment as well as for licensing and merchandising for its subcontinent including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The show will be premiere on Nick Jr. India this autumn.
Viacom18 Consumer Products is developing a licensing program for Wissper in India, with Simba Toys launching merchandise in fall 2018.
“Our partnership with Viacom18 will be introducing Wissper to kids and families in India, which is a key territory within our international broadcasting and licensing strategy. We have chosen Viacom18 as a local expert for guiding Wissper and us into this extremely interesting market. We are very excited about the commercial perspectives this huge market has to offer,” said Peter Kleinschmidt, the international commercial director at Studio 100 Media/m4e.
Aimed at preschool children, Wissper follows the adventures of a little girl by the same name who has a very special talent – she can communicate with animals, which allows her to understand their problems and help solve them.
Saugato Bhowmik, the business head for VOOT Kids, INS, and consumer products, said, “Viacom18 Consumer Products has always introduced and brought to life for kids in India characters that are globally loved and valued. We have created a wide array of product experiences around kids’ favorite characters that allow them to engage with their much-loved toons outside of the television screens.”
Wissper is produced by m4e AG and London-based animation studio Cuckoo, in coproduction with Telegael (Ireland), Discreet Art Productions (India), and the German BASTEI Media GmbH.
In February 2017, the Studio 100 Group acquired the majority interest in m4e AG.
