Friven & Co. to introduce Hi-5 brand to China

Group’s subsidiary granted rights to create cast for Chinese market and produce own television shows.

Friven & Co. Ltd, (Friven & Co.) announced on Wednesday that its 51%-owned subsidiary, Friven Asia Productions Pte Ltd (Friven Asia), formerly known as Sheares Asia Production Pte. Ltd., has on Wednesday entered into an agreement with Endemol Worldwide Distribution (EWD), a division of Endemol B.V. to be the exclusive license holder to use and exploit the intellectual properties rights to the Hi-5 Brand owned by Hi-5 Operations Pty Ltd (a Joint Venture between EWD and Nine Network Australia), in the PRC.

The Hi-5 license for the PRC will cover a period of 10 years starting from the date of the Agreement with an option to renew for another 10 years, and includes but is not limited to, activities such as licensing, merchandising, programming sales, concerts, home entertainment and mall shows in the PRC.

Under the Agreement, Friven Asia will also be working closely with Hi-5 executive producers to create a Hi-5 cast for the PRC market to promote the Hi-5 brand throughout the PRC and produce its own stage and television shows using the newly created cast. Friven Asia will also grant the rights to EWD to distribute and represent the PRC version of the Hi-5 programme worldwide upon the completion of the series – an initiative that will take the intellectual property and the Company across international boundaries.

EWD is one of the largest distributors of English language television programming in the world with a library of over 21,000 hours of content, comprising drama, children’s television, animation, entertainment, reality and factual programmes. EWD co-owns the Hi-5 brand and content with Nine Network Australia, which is one of Australia’s top-rating commercial television networks.

Currently, the Hi-5 concept worldwide already features separate USA, United Kingdom and Australian casts and Hi-5 is also enjoying a huge success in non-English speaking regions like Latin America. Truly a global television programme, Hi-5 is screened in over 220 countries including Australia, USA, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Canada, Latin America, United Arab Emirates, Middle East, throughout Asia and South Africa.