DQ Entertainment announces licensing deal with Walmart

AIM-listed animation and entertainment production company DQ Entertainment has unveiled a number of new licensing and merchandising deals concluded during the quarter ended March 2013.

In a quarterly operational update, the company said that the most significant of these was signed by DQ Entertainment's licensing agent in the USA, SMC Entertainment Group (SMC).

SMC, in collaboration with the home-video distribution licensee Phase4 Films, has secured the rights for the launch of The Jungle Book DVDs in all Walmart stores across the USA and Canada.

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Other new licensing and merchandising agreements included Bendon Publishing for colouring, activity and story books in the USA and Canada, PlayWow International for inflatable toys and Rotomolded toys in the USA, South Africa and Australia and a promotional tie-up with Norton anti-virus software provider in the USA.

Tapaas Chakravarti, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DQ Entertainment, said: "We are successfully exploiting the Jungle Book franchise across multiple geographies and multiple product lines.

"Based on the success of our Jungle Book TV series - which is validated by the quality of partners it has attracted globally - we continue to exploit the revenue potential from licensing of our other properties such as 'Peter Pan', 'Robin Hood' and '5 and IT'."

DQ Entertainment's share price was down 2.67% to 18.25p at 12:50 on Thursday.

MF