Wide-Ranging Offerings from Partners Including Jakks Pacific and Simon & Schuster Span Across Categories and Interests
Pittsburgh, PA, November 18, 2024 – Fans of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, the beloved Emmy®-winning animated PBS KIDS series from Fred Rogers Productions, will have many more grr-ific ways to bring the series into their everyday lives. Fred Rogers Productions and 9 Story Brands, the worldwide licensing agent for the series, have collaborated with more than 25 new and existing licensees on a wide assortment of products. The lineup includes items with sensory and accessibility needs in mind as well as new budget-friendly merchandise to help ensure that Daniel Tiger can be part of everyone’s world. The variety of products will continue to align with the core messages of empathy, imagination, and emotional empowerment for which Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is known.
“We are thrilled to be able to work with such a wide-ranging group of innovative and exceptional licensees,” said Matt Shiels, vice president of business and legal affairs, Fred Rogers Productions. “We look forward to the arrival of the newest Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood offerings, which are designed to support preschoolers at their own ability levels and stages of development as the brand has strived to do over the last 12 years.”
Upcoming products from new and existing Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood licensees span multiple categories, including apparel and accessories, baby, first aid, food, party, publishing, toys, and beyond. The offerings include a number of inventive items to assist with emotional support, sensory development, and more. These include:
• Gifts of Joy –Daniel Tiger Calming Corner Kit (a sensory and fidget developmental product featuring social-emotional learning activities designed to help children effectively recognize and manage their emotions);
• Glo Pals – Water-activated light-up cubes and character figures to support sensory development, cause and effect, cognitive and fine motor skills, and color recognition;
• Kinder Cloth – Cloth diapering products;
• Meemzy Magic: Sensory play kits;
• Soulbaby – Bamboo clothing offerings, including medically accessible apparel for toddlers and babies.
Other Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood licensed products coming to retail include:
• ACI International – Footwear;
• Good2Grow – Drinks and snacks;
• Impact Merchandising – Apparel and accessories, including Daniel Tiger Ears;
• Jakks Pacific – Toys, including Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Bungalow Shape Sorter (selected for both the Clamour Influencer Guide and The Toy Insider’s Holiday Gift Guide) and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Trolley Seek and Find;
• JK2 Apparel – Kids fashion apparel;
• Keep Going First Aid – Travel-friendly first aid kits;
• Kidstir – Cooking kits;
• Simon & Schuster – New books, including “A Bandage for Miss Elaina,” (selected for the Seal of Approval from The National Parenting Center) “Things That Go in the Neighborhood,” and “Daniel Tiger’s Delightful Tales”;
• Souvenir Source – Magnets, key chains, drinkware, and other souvenir items;
• Tonies: New audio story toys;
• Vapor Apparel – Sun protective shirts (that have earned The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation);
• Yoto – Audio player system, with such introductions as “Potty Time” (audio card) and “Goodbye Blue Fish” (digital audio card).
In addition, Fred Rogers Productions and 9 Story Brands have renewed partnerships with Skip Hop (toddler products and gear) and Mighty Mojo Toys (toys, games, party goods/stationery, and more) for their existing Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood product ranges as well as licensing partnerships with companies, including:
• Hybrid – Apparel, expanding into adult sizes;
• Carter Joey – Backpacks and patches;
• Weatherman Umbrella – Umbrellas;
• Cottage Door Press – Novelty publishing;
• PAPP International – Specialty publishing, expanding to activity books;
• HGP – Toys, expanding to water toys.
Fred Rogers Productions is also continuing its experiential and merchandise collaborations, including: Palace Entertainment, operator of amusement, water, and animal parks; Amazon, via a curated assortment of licensed products; Toys “R” Us shops in Macy’s, now in its second year; and licensed food items, available in-store at Fred Meyer, Meijer, Walgreens, and Walmart as well as online at Amazon, Thrive Market, Walgreens, and Walmart.
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is currently in its seventh season on PBS KIDS. It is produced by Fred Rogers Productions and 9 Story Media Group and animated by 9 Story’s award-winning animation studio, Brown Bag Films. Executive producers are Angela C. Santomero, creator of the series; Ellen Doherty, chief creative officer at Fred Rogers Productions; and Vince Commisso, president & CEO, 9 Story Media Group.
9 Story Brands
9 Story Brands is the dedicated brand management and consumer products division of 9 Story Media Group, a leading content creator, producer and distributor of kids and family-focused intellectual property, now part of Scholastic’s portfolio. 9 Story Brands builds global entertainment brands for kids, with expertise across creative, brand marketing and licensing. The division manages merchandising rights for top children’s properties, including Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Karma’s World, Super Why, Dylan’s Playtime Adventures, Lu & the Bally Bunch, Colorforms, Wild Kratts, The Magic School Bus, I Spy, and Clifford the Big Red Dog.
About Fred Rogers Productions
Fred Rogers Productions was founded by Fred Rogers in 1971 as the non-profit producer of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood for PBS. In the years that followed, it created hundreds of episodes of this much-loved program and extended Fred’s values and approach to other efforts in promoting children’s social, emotional, and behavioral health while supporting parents, caregivers, teachers, and other professionals in their work with children. Fred Rogers Productions continues to build on Fred’s legacy in innovative ways through a wide variety of media and engages new generations of children and families with his timeless wisdom. The company’s highly rated children’s series, including Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Peg + Cat, Odd Squad, and Through the Woods, have earned 30 Emmy® Awards among other important honors. The company’s latest series are Donkey Hodie, the innovative puppet series inspired by characters from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and Alma’s Way, an animated series created by Sonia Manzano. Fred Rogers Productions strives to inspire a lifelong enthusiasm for learning through its series as well as efforts beyond broadcast including games and interactive offerings, community engagement activities, and much more. For more information, visit www.fredrogers.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.