9 Story Entertainment Group’s acquisition of Out of the Blue will bolster its licensing business as it also moves to develop its own IP, the company said.

The form the company’s combined licensing businesses will take is still being determined, says a 9 Story spokeswoman. But the two companies are scheduled to meet this week to discuss integration of the businesses, says Out of the Blue’s Samantha Freeman.

Out of the Blue brings with it licensing programs for “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” and Colorforms, while 9 Story recently brought licensing for the “Peg + Cat” series in-house and also handles it in international markets for Wild Kratts. Out of the Blue and 9 Story worked together on “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” which Nine Story produces and distributes with The Fred Rogers Co. Out of the Blue also produces and 9 Story provides animation for the “Creative Galaxy” series being developed for Amazon Studios and Amazon’s “Wishenpoof!,” which currently features 40 episodes, including a second season that was release last September.

The purchase comes as Out of the Blue develops a new 13-episode, 30-minute series based on Colorforms that is slated to air on Netflix in March 2019. The series will be previewed at the Kidscreen Summit in February. Kahoots Toys launched a line of classic Colorforms products at Learning Express last fall and Out of the Blue is seeking to broaden the licensing program to include housewares, t-shirts, games, puzzles and activity books, says Freeman. Out of the Blue acquired Colorforms in 2014 and launched a licensing program the following year. But it has since narrowed the number of licensees (Inside Licensing May 30) as it readies a new push behind the Netflix series.

At the same time, 9 Story is developing its own IP, including “Luna Around the World” which is scheduled to air on PBS Kids this fall. It also is creating a second animated series, but hasn’t released details yet, says a 9 Story spokeswoman.

Contacts:

Out of the Blue, Samantha Freeman, Managing Dir., 212-764-0266 x333, samantha@outoftheblue.com

9 Story Entertainment, Kristin Lecoure, Senior Dir. Consumer Products, 416-530-9900, Kristin.lecour@9story.com