Mamma Mia – Masha Makes It Big In Italy! BRANDORA Editorial Staff - January 2015

 
Russian animation Masha and the Bear, which is represented in the broadcasting and licensing sectors by Ink Global, is once again proving its universal appeal through a string of broadcasting and licensing deals in Italy.

The two series of 26 x 7' episodes chronicle the adventures of a little girl called Masha and the Bear who becomes her reluctant playmate and is the work of leading Russian animation studio Animaccord, which was set up in 2008 with a mission to connect with children all over the world through beautiful cartoons that tell fascinating stories.

Masha and the Bear quickly established itself as the biggest brand and one of the most popular shows in Russia and has since gone global through. Dall’Angelo Pictures distributes Masha in the Broadcast and Home Entertainment channels in Italy which is just one of around 100 countries where the cartoon is screening. Both RAI YoYo FTA TV and Dea Junior Pay TV have bought the Italian rights to the show and are each screening approximately 15 episodes per day. Ratings on Rai YoYo are particularly impressive with an average audience of over 500,000 per day.

The Italian licensing community has been quick to capitalise on the show’s popularity and Maurizio Distefano, Italian sub-agent for the brand, has signed a string of deals. These include Accademia (BTS and gift items), Clementoni (toys), Dolfin (confectionary), Grabo (balloons), IN.TE.SUD. (apparel), Jaxo Tirabasso (accessories), Lisciani (puzzles and toys), Modecor (cake decorations), Multiprint (play prints), World Cart (tissues) and Sicem (apparel).

“Masha and the Bear has huge appeal for Italian audiences who are bored of mainstream shows,” says Maurizio Distefano. “This has been recognised by Italian licensees and we have already built a strong programme, with many more deals close to being finalised.”

Ink Global Director Claus Tømming adds “Success in Italy shows the strength and potential of Masha and the Bear. It is a show that stands out as something original and innovative in a crowded market and audiences everywhere are responding to that, which creates a very strong platform for licensing.”