(NASDAQ:AMZN)—Amazon today announced it has signed a multi-year, multimillion dollar production deal with American Girl, a premium brand for girls and subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT), to produce four live-action specials and options to produce multiple seasons of episodic content, based on the brand’s beloved characters. Two of the specials will feature characters from the BeForever franchise and one of the specials will feature characters from Girl of the Year franchise. The first special is scheduled to premiere on Amazon Prime Video in the US, UK, Germany and Austria later this year.
“American Girl resonates strongly with kids and parents alike through its message of self-confidence, adventure, exploration and learning,” said Tara Sorensen, Head of Kids Programming, Amazon Studios. “Their research dives deep and adds rich layers to the IP that are unparalleled in this space which, in turn, will facilitate a truly enriched on-screen experience.”
“Amazon Studios has differentiated itself by creating shows that bring more than just entertainment to families,” said Catherine Balsam-Schwaber, Chief Content Officer of Mattel Inc. “Their focus on creating positive role models that both inspire and educate was an absolute perfect fit with Mattel’s mission of creating purposeful play. Partnering with Amazon shows our commitment to innovation and to bringing content to our customers where, when and how they want to watch it.”
“The Amazon Studios and American Girl ethos are so closely aligned,” said Juliana Chugg, Global Core Brands Officer. “American Girl’s roots are in creating smart, engaging content for girls. Amazon Studios will help us further our mission to champion and unite even more fans by bringing our popular characters to life in a whole new way. We can’t wait for families to enjoy the new American Girl specials together.”
Through its long history of empowering girls with its line of dolls and books, American Girl’s BeForever historical line gives girls today the opportunity to explore the past, find their place in the present, and think about the possibilities their future can bring. The brand’s wildly popular Girl of the Year characters give voice to a diverse range of personalities and reflect the interests and experiences of today’s girls, with each character different and showing girls there is no limit to what they can accomplish.
The American Girl live-action specials will join Amazon’s original kids programming slate, including live-action series Just Add Magic that recently set a record as the most successful Amazon Original Kids premiere weekend in terms of US Prime Video streams and hours, Emmy award-nominated live-action series Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street, Emmy award-nominated live-action series and Youth Media Alliance Awards Grand Prize winner Annedroids from Sinking Ship Entertainment; and three preschool series, including the Annecy, Annie and multi-Emmy award-winning Tumble Leaf from Bix Pix Entertainment, and Creative Galaxy and Wishenpoof from Emmy award-nominated Angela C. Santomero and Out of the Blue Enterprises, the creators of Blue’s Clues. Annedroids, Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street, Tumble Leaf and Wishenpoof were recently honored by the Parents’ Choice Foundation.
About Amazon Video
Amazon Video offers customers unlimited access to tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes, including award-winning Amazon Original Series, through Amazon Prime; monthly subscriptions to SHOWTIME, STARZ, and more; and hundreds of thousands of titles including new-release movies and current TV shows for rent or purchase.
The entire range of selection can be instantly accessed through the Amazon Video app on TVs, streaming media players, mobile devices, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire tablets, or online at Amazon.com/amazonvideo. For a list of all Amazon Video compatible devices visit www.amazon.com/howtostream.
Prime Video, included in Amazon Prime, enables Prime members to enjoy binge-worthy TV shows including Amazon Original Series airing now such as the multi-Golden Globe award-winning series from Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman, Mozart in the Jungle, the multi-Golden Globe award-winning and Emmy award-winning series Transparent, the breakout hit The Man in the High Castle, based on Philip K. Dick’s novel, the hour-long drama Bosch, based on Michael Connelly’s best-selling books, Mad Dogs, based on the hit UK series of the same name, and the comedy created by and starring Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan, Catastrophe, in addition to HBO favorites like The Sopranos, True Blood and Girls, and popular primetime series including 24, Downton Abbey, Extant, Falling Skies, Grimm, Hannibal, Justified, Orphan Black, Teen Wolf, The Americans, and Under the Dome. Prime members also have access to a collection of kids shows now airing including Amazon Original Series Annedroids, Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street and the Annecy, Annie and multi-Emmy Award-winning Tumble Leaf, as well as popular shows from Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Team Umizoomi, and Blue’s Clues. Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/primevideo.
About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon.
About American Girl
American Girl is a premium brand for and about girls and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAT, www.mattel.com), the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture, and marketing of toys and family products. Headquartered in Middleton, WI, American Girl offers an inspiring world of dolls, experiences, and entertainment to empower and unite girls of all ages. Best-selling lines include Truly Me, Girl of the Year, Bitty Baby, and the classic historical character line BeForever. The company sells products through its award-winning catalogue, on www.americangirl.com, in its experiential retail stores nationwide, and in specialty boutiques at select Indigo and Chapters in Canada and El Palacio de Hierro locations in Mexico City. American Girl’s mission is to fuel belonging and connection among girls, a goal that has already earned the loyalty of millions and the praise and trust of their parents and educators.
About Mattel
The Mattel family of companies (Nasdaq: MAT) is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products. Mattel's portfolio of best-selling brands includes Barbie, the most popular fashion doll ever produced, Hot Wheels, Monster High, American Girl, Thomas & Friends, Fisher-Price brands and MEGA Brands, as well as a wide array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. In 2015, Mattel was named one of the "World's Most Ethical Companies" by Ethisphere Magazine and in 2014 ranked No. 5 on Corporate Responsibility Magazine's "100 Best Corporate Citizens" list. With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel's companies employ approximately 31,000 people in 40 countries and territories and sell products in more than 150 nations. Visit us at www.mattel.com, www.facebook.com/mattel or www.twitter.com/mattel.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160201005664/en/
Contacts:
Media Hotline: 206-266-7180
www.amazon.com/pr
