Peppa Pig Set To Overthrow America

Never heard of Peppa Pig? Well, you haven’t been watching children’s TV lately. It’s a British children’s television show with 180 five-minute episodes that focus on the everyday lives of Peppa Pig, her quirky family and her pals.

It was first broadcast in the United Kingdom in 2004. Peppa Pig toys first hit British shelves in 2005 and, according to the Guardian, made more than £200m last year. There are video games, the series has been translated into languages including Italian, there's even a Peppa Pig outdoor attraction in the UK. That’s some pig!

Peppa Pig debuted in the US on Nick Jr. in February, after a deal with the series' creator, animation studio Astley Baker Davies, and distributor Entertainment One. Now Peppa Pig toys are coming to the America, with Peppa Pig playthings due to pop up on store shelves by the time the holiday-shopping season rolls around later this year. Fisher-Price has made a deal with Entertainment One to create and distribute the toys in the States.

“Rights owner Entertainment One … saw its share price jump 5% in early trading on Tuesday as investors eyed the potential $1bn (£600m) in annual sales the US merchandising deal reportedly could generate,” the Guardian reports.

Fisher-Price, which is owned by Mattel, will develop a “comprehensive toy line,” the company tells the Guardian. It appears that they’ll need to generate a fair amount of Peppa playthings because Entertainment One claims the show ranks in the top 10 on Nick Jr. and draws more than 500,000 viewers between 2 and 5. Talk about hogging!

"Partnering with such a prestigious toy licensee at this stage in the property's evolution is testament to the strength of the US broadcast figures and the proven success of the brand in the UK," said the Entertainment One chief executive, Darren Throop, according to the Guardian. "The initial success of the TV ratings illustrates the potential of the show and the confidence we have that the brand will be a big hit with US consumers."