NEW YORK -- March 17, 2005 -- 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. today announced that it has signed an exclusive agreement with Hasbro, Inc. to broadcast the new G.I. JOE SIGMA SIX animated series on 4Kids TV(TM) - beginning September 2005. 4KIDS TV is the 4Kids Entertainment's four hours of children's programming airing Saturday mornings on FOX.
The new G.I. JOE SIGMA SIX animated series will be based on a new segment of the legendary brand, created by Hasbro, more than 40 years ago. Hasbro introduced G.I. JOE SIGMA SIX, a new line of action figures featuring an all-new 8-inch scale, at the American International Toy Fair in New York last month.
"We are excited to expand our relationship with Hasbro and bring one of its leading properties to 4KIDS TV," said Alfred R. Kahn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of 4Kids Entertainment. "Hasbro's G.I. JOE brand carries instant name recognition and has served as one of the leaders in the action figure category for more than 40 years since its inception. Popular characters, such as DUKE, SNAKE EYES, HEAVY DUTY, SPIRIT and COBRA COMMANDER, equipped in their signature gear have captured the imagination of children growing up, and will play a prominent role in the programming. We believe the G.I. JOE brand will continue to resonate with today's generation of young kids and we look forward to having the all new animated series exclusively featured on 4KIDS TV."
"We are thrilled that the G.I. JOE saga, one of the most popular boy's animated series of all time, will return to television with an all-new exciting series," said Duncan Billing, Chief Marketing Officer of Hasbro's U.S. Toys Group. "4KIDS TV features some of the most entertaining kids programming and was an ideal choice to bring the adventures of G.I. JOE SIGMA SIX to a new generation with great characters and state of the art animation."
4KIDS TV's current lineup, beginning at 8:00 a.m. (ET), includes popular animated series such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles(TM), One Piece(TM), Winx Club(TM), Mew Mew Power(TM), Shaman King(TM), Sonic X(TM) and the Incredible Crash Dummies(TM).
About 4Kids Entertainment
Headquartered in New York City with international offices in London, 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: KDE) is a global provider of children's entertainment and merchandise licensing. 4Kids, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, provides domestic and international merchandise licensing; product development; television, film, music and home video production and distribution; media planning and buying; and Web site development. For further information, please visit the Company's Web site at www.4KidsEntertainment.com.
About G.I. JOE
The G.I. JOE brand revolutionized the toy industry, and forever altered the way boys play with the advent of the action figure in 1964. G.I. JOE has been among the most popular boy brands of all time and has provided millions of boys with endless backyard adventures. Throughout its 40-year history, the G.I. JOE brand has constantly evolved, inspiring kids with representations of both military and civilian heroes. Hasbro has always kept the G.I. JOE brand relevant to new generations through new toy trends and innovations such as the Kung-Fu Grip of the 70s and today's G.I. JOE vs. COBRA line.
About Hasbro
Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) is a worldwide leader in children's and family leisure time entertainment products and services, including the design, manufacture and marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional to high-tech. Both internationally and in the U.S., its PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER, and WIZARDS OF THE COAST brands and products provide the highest quality and most recognizable play experiences in the world.
G.I. JOE, SIGMA SIX and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission.
