LUD Ludorum

RNS Number:4632N
Ludorum PLC
07 February 2008


                                                                 7 February 2008


                               LUDORUM PLC UPDATE


   * Chuggington broadcasting agreements secured with the BBC, SuperRTL, TF1
     and ABC
   * Learning Curve named as global toy partner
   * Global agreement to represent Dennis and Gnasher



Ludorum plc, the AIM listed interactive media investment company, today
announced important agreements with major partners regarding its Chuggington
property, the 3-D animated series and interactive website for children 3 to 6
years old. The company also announced a long-term agency agreement with D C
Thomson & Co. Ltd to represent Dennis and Gnasher, the iconic characters from
the Beano.


Chuggington


The company announced in September 2007 that it had entered into production on
its first property, Chuggington, a new 3-D animated series and interactive
website aimed at 3 to 6 year olds and their parents. Chuggington was introduced
to the international marketplace at the Mipcom festival in October 2007 and
received a very positive reaction from broadcasters around the world.


Ludorum is pleased to announce it has secured broadcast commitments for
Chuggington from pre-eminent broadcasters in their respective territories,
including the BBC (UK), SuperRTL (Germany), TF1 (France), and ABC (Australia).
In addition, a significant number of additional territories are actively under
negotiation. Global broadcast is anticipated to commence in spring 2009.


Ludorum is also pleased to announce that Learning Curve Brands, Inc, a leading
global toy manufacturer based in the US, will be its global toy partner for
Chuggington. Learning Curve will develop global lines of new and innovative toys
with both on and offline applications which will begin to come to market in
early 2010.


The company has also been exploring potential partners for the representation of
home entertainment and publishing rights. To date, Ludorum has received
encouraging proposals for the home entertainment rights as well as strong
interest from leading book publishers. The company anticipates that it will
conclude agreements on these key categories in the near future.


Dennis and Gnasher


Ludorum also announces that it has agreed a long-term agency agreement with D C
Thomson & Co. Ltd to represent global broadcast, home entertainment, consumer
product and new media rights to Dennis and Gnasher, the iconic characters from
the Beano. A new series of 52 x 11 minute episodes is currently in production
for delivery in autumn 2009 and has been pre-sold to the BBC and Nine Network
(Australia).


Rob Lawes, Ludorum's Chief Executive Officer said:


"We are very encouraged by the positive reaction Chuggington has received. The
high quality broadcasting contracts already in place are indicative of the
tremendous enthusiasm and excitement for Chuggington. We are excited about
Learning Curve's involvement as global toy partner and we believe their
expertise in toy development and marketing will add great momentum to the
Chuggington property.


We're also delighted to be representing the iconic characters, Dennis and
Gnasher. It's a property that we know well and have managed in the past. We're
very excited about the current production plans and we are looking forward to
refreshing the Dennis property and taking it to a global audience in both TV and
Interactive formats."


The Company expects to announce its preliminary results for the year ended 31
December 2007 on 23 April 2008.


For further information, contact


Ludorum

Rob Lawes - Chief Executive Officer, Ludorum plc 020 8849 8735
Charlie Caminada - Chief Operating Officer, Ludorum plc


Brunswick

Kate Holgate 020 7404 5959
Ash Spiegelberg


Investec

Andrew Craig
Ben Poynter 020 7597 4000


About Ludorum plc


Ludorum was formed and is run by the former CEO and COO of HIT Entertainment
PLC, a company which was subject to a recommended takeover in May 2005 valuing
the business at �489 million and which managed a strong portfolio of children's
properties including Bob the Builder, Barney, Thomas the Tank Engine, Pingu and
Guinness World Records and by the co-founder and former CEO of Learning Curve,
International, the company that also has the master toy licenses for both Thomas
the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder. The company is dedicated to developing,
acquiring and marketing intellectual entertainment properties which are
appropriate for both the new interactive distribution channels as well as
classic linear TV.



About Chuggington


Chuggington is a computer generated 3D series of 52 x 10 minute episodes as well
as a fully immersive interactive site both scheduled for delivery in the fourth
quarter of 2008. The series follows the adventures of Wilson, Brewster and Koko,
trainee diesel engines, each with their own unique personality and learning
style.  The series is set in a world much like our own with cities, villages and
diverse cultures and geography. Entertainment and enjoyment is at the heart of
Chuggington, but embedded within each story are important educational and
developmental messages centred on learning and social-emotional development.
Chuggington is directed by Sarah Ball, who won a BAFTA award for her work as a
director and writer of Bob the Builder. The property was conceived to seamlessly
integrate television, books and interactive view-and-play. Further information
is available at www.chuggington.com.


An innovative on-line program where parents will be able to personalise the site
for their children, specifying many parameters including the level of community
interaction desired will also be brought to market simultaneously with the TV
property. The Chuggington site will allow parents to prioritise the
developmental and learning issues that they believe are important to their
children and it will present a truly entertaining and immersive interactive
world of Chuggington which is graphically and textually consistent with the
world defined by the television series, and which is also uniquely interactive
with various of the property's licensed products.


Chuggington Executive Producers

Charlie Caminada - Chief Operating Officer. Charlie was appointed an Executive
Director of Ludorum on 10 January 2006. Prior to this he held the position of
Chief Operating Officer at HIT. Before joining HIT he was National Sales
Director of Triple M Radio in Sydney, Australia followed by 3 years at London
Weekend Television Sales Group Manager for the Late Night Service.

Don Toht - Vice President. Prior to joining Ludorum in 2006 Don Toht was Vice
President of Design and New Products for Learning Curve at Concept Development,
where his responsibilities included the design of the Thomas & Friends, Lamaze
and Bob the Builder toy systems.


Chuggington Writers and Animator

Writers for the series episodes are international in scope, coming from
countries as diverse as England, the USA and China, and the series' concepts and
scripts are supervised by a prestigious international committee of early
childhood development professionals. The series is being animated by Motion
Magic Digital Entertainment Inc. in Shanghai, China. Motion Magic will also play
an important role in the development of the interactive site which is being
developed by the company's own interactive project management.


About Dennis and Gnasher


Dennis & Gnasher propels Dennis the Menace, made famous in the UK's best known
comic the Beano, into the 21st century with a new modern-day look and
contemporary storylines. The 52x11 minute series, aimed at five to 10-year olds,
promises to deliver fun, over-the-top, high spirited, seat-of-the-pants humour
while retaining Dennis's classic streak of school boy naughtiness and charm.




                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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