Corus Entertainment’s merchandise and distribution business will post high single-digit to low double-digit percentage sales growth late this year as Nelvana Enterprise’s new TV series launch, Corus executives told analysts. Merchandise and distribution revenue in fiscal Q1 ended Nov. 30 declined to $18 million from $22 million a year earlier amid delays in TV series production.

The shortfall in sales follows Corus’ “recalibrating” of subsidiary Nelvana Enterprises’ production schedules for “Mysticons,” “Hotel Translyvania: The TV Series,” “The Bravest Warriors,”, “The ZhusZhus” and “Esme and Roy.” The bulk of shows are being released this year and in 2018.

Some already having merchandising plans in place – Playmates is the master toy licensee for Mysticons – and others have them in “the initial planning stages,” says a Corus spokeswoman. “They were delayed so the timing of merchandise advances and guarantees and the like were stalled and deferred by a few quarters, but they will come in, we expect,” Corus CEO Doug Murphy said. Overall, Corus Q1 net income jumped to $71.1 million from $43 million a year ago as revenue rose to $468 from $228 million on strength of its acquisition of Shaw Media.