"Teletubbies" was the first Western kids show to air in China. (Photo : Reuters)
In separate deals, LeTV and iQiyi have acquired the rights to stream the classic preschool kids television show, "Teletubbies."
In a non-exclusive licensing agreement, LeTV has been granted smart TV, set-top box and Web rights to around 313 half-hours of the "Teletubbies" series both in the English and Mandarin languages.
Meanwhile, iQiyi has acquired the AVOD and SVOD rights to over 400 half-hours from the Canadian firm, DHX Media, including contents from the original "Teletubbies," "Paddington" and "Caillou" series.
"Teletubbies" is thought to have accumulated a huge fan base in China, a reason why Chinese SVOD operators have entered content distribution deals. The preschool series was the first Western kids show to air in the country. Through state broadcaster CCTV, the show was able to reach 300 million kids.
DHX Media got the "Teletubbies" property through the acquisition of U.K. producer Ragdoll Worldwide back in 2013. The move was a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Ragdoll Productions.
The recently forged Chinese online video deals do not cover DHX Media's new "Teletubbies" series.
Earlier, Nickelodeon has seized the U.S. TV and on-demand rights of the upcoming "Teletubbies" reboot, which is set to be broadcast on its Nick Jr. channel. Additionally, the U.S. network has acquired the original "Teletubbies" episodes for its newly launched Noggin mobile subscription service.
The latest incarnation of the popular series is developed by Canadian indie producer DHX Media along with U.K. partner Darrall Macqueen. The well-loved characters are alien toddlers named Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po, who are expected to return with their sound play and physical comedic acts on U.K.'s CBeebies.
