Nickelodeon Takes Its Canadian Licensing/Merchandising Business In-House

TORONTO/LONDON/NYC, 24 August 2011 – Nickelodeon Consumer Products (NCP), a division of Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) today announced plans to take its Canadian licensing and merchandising business in-house as of 1 October 2011.  NCP Canada’s Toronto based office, led by Tanya Visano, Senior Director, NCP Canada, will exclusively represent VIMN’s portfolio of properties and brands which include Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central and manage all operations and retail and licensee relationships for NCP. The news was announced by Michael Connolly, Senior Vice President of Consumer Products for VIMN.

“VIMN’s business and brand portfolio in Canada has grown exponentially since we launched our first licensing program a little more than a decade ago and now encompasses two 24-hour dedicated channel services with our Canadian broadcast partners, multiple digital platforms and mass awareness of our brands and properties,” commented Connolly.  “Moving from an agent to in-house representation model is optimal for our continued growth in the region and, combined with our global scale, we are able to offer even deeper value to our Canadian partners.”

NCP Canada will focus on driving NCP’s strategic priorities around their Something for Everyone portfolio, including innovative and enhanced retail partnerships, holistic franchise and category management with first in class operational support and product development.   Visano and her expanding team of marketing and licensing professionals, who include Jeremy Potvin (Director, Softlines), Jean Brozny (Senior Manager, Marketing and Brand Management), Daniel Christamtsis (Senior Manager, Hardlines), and Matthew Spataro (Coordinator, Retail Marketing), are based in Toronto at the offices of VIMN’s Canadian subsidiary, MTV Networks Canada, ULC.

Visano added, “We are very excited about NCP’s expanding efforts in Canada and the great potential around our Something for Everyone portfolio.  Our team will focus on deepening partner relationships through value added solutions and product innovation that will deliver increased sales and impactful retail merchandising.”

NCP Something for Everyone portfolio spans every demo across pre-school, kids, tweens, teens and adult.  Nickelodeon’s evergreens’ Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants feature newly integrated marketing campaigns and high quality product designs.  Nick’s robust content pipeline keeps delivering the hits such as Victorious (currently broadcasting on YTV) which debuts at Walmart in Canada this summer for Back-to-School. Adult offerings around Comedy Central’s South Park, now entering its 15th season and MTV’s The Jersey Shore reflect NCP’s scope as a true one-stop-shop for partners.

Visano will coordinate operational transition from agent to in-house and is responsible for all day to day NCP business.

NCP’s move to direct representation in Canada will be managed out of VIMN’s Canadian subsidiary, MTV Networks Canada, ULC.