NEW YORK, Aug. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Peanuts
Worldwide, the newly formed joint venture between Iconix Brand
Group (Nasdaq: ICON) and Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates
today announced that it has signed a new five year deal with ABC
Network for the popular PEANUTS animated holiday specials. The
beloved Emmy Award winning specials, including the iconic "A
Charlie Brown Christmas," "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" and "It's the Great Pumpkin,
Charlie Brown," created by
Charles M. Schulz and produced and
animated by Lee Mendelson and
Bill Melendez, began airing on ABC
in December 2001.
"The PEANUTS holiday TV specials are iconic and represent a
family tradition of watching Charlie
Brown and the gang kick off the holiday season," stated
Neil Cole, CEO, Iconix Brand Group.
Cole added, "This new deal with ABC demonstrates the continued
relevance of the PEANUTS brand as it celebrates its 60th
anniversary."
This fall, the famed PEANUTS comic strip will celebrate its 60th
anniversary. The first and most well known of the beloved
animated holiday specials, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" first aired
on television in 1965, marking this year as its 45th
anniversary.
Since moving to ABC nine years ago, the specials have
continually delivered stellar ratings for the Network. Against
competition including the season finale of NBC's "Biggest Loser,"
ABC's rebroadcast of the animated holiday classic "A Charlie Brown
Christmas" finished a strong No. 2 in its half-hour in Adults 18-49
(3.7/11), beating slot-regulars CBS' "NCIS" replay by 37% (2.7/8)
and Fox's original "So You Think You Can Dance" by 61% in Adults
18-49 (2.3/7). The Charlie Brown special towered over its
slot with Kids 2-11, topping the combined delivery of CBS, Fox, NBC
and CW in the half-hour by 42% (5.9/18 vs. 4.2/13), and finished as
the No. 2 TV show of the night behind only its lead-out, ABC's
debut of "Prep & Landing." Versus the year-ago night with
original programming ("AFV" special on 12/9/08), "A Charlie Brown
Christmas" boosted the time period year to year for ABC by 4.2
million viewers (11.2 million vs. 7.0 million) and by 95% in Adults
18-49 (3.7/11 vs. 1.9/5). The PEANUTS special was up year to year
in Total Viewers and held even with Adults 18-49 (11.0 million and
3.7/10 on 12/8/08).
On October 2, 1950 the PEANUTS
comic strip launched in seven American newspapers. Who would have
guessed the impact the brand would have around the world for
decades to come. Nearly 60 years later, the comic strip appears in
over 2,200 newspapers, in 75 countries and 21 languages. PEANUTS
animated specials have become a seasonal tradition and thousands of
consumer products are available in virtually all retail channels.
Charlie Brown kicking the football,
Linus and his blanket and Lucy leaning over Schroeder's piano are
images to which everyone can relate. Phrases such as "Security
Blanket" and "Good Grief" have become a part of the global
vernacular.
PEANUTS WORLDWIDE
The PEANUTS characters and related intellectual property are
owned by Peanuts Worldwide LLC, a joint venture owned 80% by Iconix
Brand Group, Inc. and 20% by members of the Charles M. Schulz family. Iconix Brand Group,
Inc. (Nasdaq: ICON) owns, licenses and markets a growing portfolio
of consumer brands including CANDIE'S (R), BONGO (R), BADGLEY MISCHKA (R), JOE
BOXER (R), RAMPAGE (R), MUDD (R), LONDON FOG (R), MOSSIMO
(R), OCEAN PACIFIC(R), DANSKIN (R), ROCA WEAR(R), CANNON (R), ROYAL
VELVET (R), FIELDCREST (R), CHARISMA (R), STARTER (R) and
WAVERLY (R). In addition, Iconix
owns an interest in the ARTFUL DODGER (R), ED HARDY (R), ECKO (R), MARC ECKO (R), ZOO YORK (R), MATERIAL GIRL(TM),
and PEANUTS brands. The Company licenses its brands to a network of
leading retailers and manufacturers that touch every major segment
of retail distribution from the luxury market to the mass market in
both the U.S. and worldwide. Through its in-house business
development, merchandising, advertising and public relations
departments Iconix manages its brands to drive greater consumer
awareness and equity.
Peanuts Worldwide
Contact
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Melissa Menta
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Vice President, Public
Relations
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212-293-8506
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SOURCE Iconix Brand Group, Inc.
Copyright . 16 PR Newswire