NEW YORK – August 21, 2017 – SUNRIGHTS INC., the New York City-based entertainment rights management company, has licensed the first season of its new animated series BEYBLADE BURST to New Zealand’s TVNZ. Per the agreement, brokered by SUNRIGHTS INC.’s Australian/New Zealand agent The Fusion Agency, BEYBLADE BURST is airing on the network weekdays at 7:30 a.m.
The BEYBLADE BURST series premiered over the summer and has been posting impressive ratings for the government-owned national broadcaster broadcasting in New Zealand and parts of the Pacific region.
“BEYBLADE BURST is an exciting new brand for our young viewers, and we’re happy to have the opportunity to introduce the property to New Zealand,” said TVNZ’s Director of Content, Cate Slater.
“TVNZ’s vision for delivering content in an effort to fully serve the needs of its audience resonates with our goals for BEYBLADE BURST and we are very excited to enter into this mutually beneficial relationship with a network that is renowned the world over for its proactive programming,” added Kaz Soeda, Managing Director at SUNRIGHTS INC.
The new BEYBLADE BURST animated series, created by d-rights inc. and produced by OLM, introduces viewers to Valt Aoi, who is crazy about Beyblade, the phenomenally popular spinning top that has been fueling competitions from schoolyards to global tournaments for over a decade. Valt’s best friend since childhood, Shu Kurenai, is hailed as a Beyblade prodigy and has already been named as one of the National Beyblade Tournament’s Supreme Four. Inspired by Shu’s accomplishments, Valt sets his sights on reaching this year’s National Tournament. But to get to the big leagues, he must first emerge victorious from the District Tournament – no easy feat, given the tough opponents standing in his way. Determined to win, Valt aims to make it to the championship, where he hopes to battle Shu and move on to the National Tournament. As he battles, Valt broadens his circle of friends and reaches new heights. Without even realizing it, he has begun to dream of becoming the best Blader in the world.
The BEYBLADE BURST property is fortified by a product line from Hasbro which features a dynamic “burst” component, bringing more excitement to the successful battling play pattern. Fans can elevate their physical play to a digital playing field by scanning their BEYBLADE BURST tops into the BEYBLADE BURST app (available in the App Store and Google Play) allowing them to customize and battle with their collection digitally with friends through local Wi-Fi.
About TVNZ
TVNZ’s all about sharing the moments that matter to New Zealanders – whether it’s breaking news, following adventures, sharing stories or putting smiles on faces. Each day TVNZ reaches more than 2 million New Zealanders through TVNZ 1, 2, DUKE, its online entertainment destination TVNZ.co.nz and its leading news site 1 NEWS NOW. TVNZ is a commercial broadcaster, with its revenue earned through advertising. For more information, visit https://www.tvnz.co.nz/
About SUNRIGHTS INC.
SUNRIGHTS INC., the fast growing New York based entertainment arm of Japanese production company d-rights Inc., will handle the distribution of broadcast, non-toy merchandising and promotional rights for BEYBLADE BURST outside of Asia. Learn more about us at http://sunrights-inc.com/.
About d-rights Inc.
d-rights, Inc. is a key player in international production of animated content for families and children globally. They are recognized for brands such as Beyblade, B-Daman, and Scan2Go. d-rights manages every aspect of content creation from production to distribution, financing, marketing and product licensing. Co-owned by Asatsu-DK Inc. (ADK) who distributes popular titles including “Yu-Gi-Oh!”, “Doraemon”, “Crayon Shin-chan” and “One piece”, and Mitsubishi Corporation, d-rights assumes a key role in the global business. Check our properties at http://www.d-rights.com.
About Hasbro
Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a global play and entertainment company committed to Creating the World’s Best Play Experiences. From toys and games to television, movies, digital gaming and consumer products, Hasbro offers a variety of ways for audiences to experience its iconic brands, including NERF, MY LITTLE PONY, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH, MONOPOLY, LITTLEST PET SHOP and MAGIC: THE GATHERING, as well as premier partner brands. The Company’s Hasbro Studios and its film label, Allspark Pictures, are building its brands globally through great storytelling and content on all screens. Through its commitment to corporate social responsibility and philanthropy, Hasbro is helping to make the world a better place for children and their families. Learn more at www.hasbro.com, and follow us on Twitter (@Hasbro & @HasbroNews) and Instagram (@Hasbro).
SUNRIGHTS INC.
Natasha Gross
Director TV Sales, Marketing & Licensing
Natasha.gross@sunrights-inc.com
Priority PR
Jeff Pryor
jeff@prioritypr.net