In addition to a licensing program coming soon thanks to Maurizio Distefano Licensing agent, Bluey gets even closer to Italian fans airing on their favorite TV channel

The hit animated series Bluey, produced by Ludo Studio and co-commissioned by BBC Studios and ABC Children, will air on Rai in Italy.

In fact, it will make its free-to-air debut on December 27th in Italy on Rai Yoyo, the public broadcast service’s preschool channel.

BBC Studios will also launch a new Italian language YouTube channel in January 2022 featuring clips and bonus content from the series.

Master toy partner Moose Toys will lead the product launch this coming Easter 2022 with their highly successful toy range via their distributor Giochi Preziosi. Other products from partners including global publishing partner Penguin Random House will follow.

Maurizio Distefano Licensing was recently announced as BBC Studios’ licensing agent for Italy. Maurizio Distefano, President of the agency, states: “We are honored to have been appointed agents for Italy of an IP that we believe is extremely promising and successful, as confirmed by Rai, which chose it for its programming.”

This marks further expansion in EMEA for the award-winning animation which has recently launched on free-to-air TV in Ireland, Denmark, Sweden and France. Bluey is also available on YouTube in French, Spanish and Danish and English with more than 950,000 subscribers.

The series follows Bluey, a six-year-old Blue Heeler dog who loves to play and turn everyday family life into extraordinary adventures that unfold in unpredictable and hilarious ways, bringing her family, friends and community into her world of fun.

Bluey has won the hearts of kids and parents around the world since it first launched in Australia in October 2018, and has quickly become a global hit. In Australia, Bluey is the number one kids show on broadcast television in 2020 and is the most-watched series ever on ABC iview. In June 2019, BBC Studios struck a global broadcast deal with Disney to premiere Bluey in all territories outside Australia, New Zealand and Greater China; it now screens in over 60 countries.

In the UK, it was the most viewed show on CBeebies in August* and is also available on Disney+. In the US, across Disney Junior and Disney Channel in Q2 2021, the show was the #1 most watched TV series with kids ages 2-5.**

Bluey has also won multiple awards, such as the International Emmy ® Kids Award in the prestigious Preschool Category in 2020, and its second AACTA Awards for Best Children’s Program that same year. The accolades continue in 2021, with Bluey winning four Kidscreen Awards in February.

*Source: BBCW Global Insight/BARB/TechEdge/AdvantEdge; Reach based on 3+ minutes of continuous viewing

**Source: NPower, based on L+7, 3/29/21 – 06/26/2021, based on time spent through the TV glass; no mobile viewing.