Lionsgate to distribute LeapFrog
Studio adds second children’s brand in a week
By Danny King -- Video Business, 3/31/2008
MARCH 31 | Lionsgate has signed a distribution agreement with kid’s educational brand LeapFrog Enterprises, marking the studio’s second deal with a children’s content publisher in a week.
Lionsgate will distribute and help develop direct-to-DVD feature films from LeapFrog. The studio also will have the exclusive rights to distribute LeapFrog’s home video catalog starting next year, Lionsgate said in a statement today. LeapFrog’s five DVD titles have sold more than 4 million units.
Last week, Lionsgate said it would in May replace 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment as the exclusive North American DVD distributor for Hit Entertainment, whose well-known children’s franchises include Barney, Bob the Builder and Thomas & Friends. Hit, which had “well over $100 million” in U.S. DVD sales last year, will help boost Lionsgate’s North American family home entertainment market share to 15%, from 9%, Lionsgate president Steve Beeks said last week.
With the Hit agreement, Lionsgate’s North American family DVD market share will be on par with Paramount Home Entertainment and Warner Home Video, though it trails Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, according to Lionsgate.
LeapFrog DVD titles include Math Circus and Talking Words Factory. The company has had prior distribution agreements with Warner Home Video and Porchlight Entertainment. Porchlight retains the rights to the DVD title LeapFrog: A Tad of Christmas Cheer through 2017.
In December, Lionsgate became the exclusive U.S. distributor of MGA’s Bratz DVDs and video-on-demand and electronics titles, expanding on a more limited theatrical and DVD output deal that began in 2006. Lionsgate also releases on DVD Scholastic’s Clifford the Big Red Dog, American Greetings’ The Care Bears, Cookie Jar Entertainment’s The Doodlebops,Nelvana’s Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends as well as Speed Racer and the Marvel Animated Features series.
Lionsgate is trying to boost its total DVD sales, which fell in the quarter ended Dec. 31, as Bratz and Skinwalkers failed to match revenue from late 2006 releases Akeelah and the Bee and An American Haunting.
