Thunderbird Distribution acquires global media and consumer products rights to new preschool series Mittens & Pants

The deal with producer Windy Isle Entertainment sees Thunderbird Distribution amp up its third-party rights representation activities

Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. (TSXV:TBRD, OTC:THBRF) (Thunderbird or the Company) is pleased to announce that Thunderbird Distribution has acquired global media (excluding Canada and UK) and consumer products rights to new preschool series Mittens & Pants. The innovative live-action series is produced by Toronto-based Windy Isle Entertainment and is a CBC Kids original production that will debut on CBC and CBC Gem in Canada this Fall. In the UK, Sky has pre-bought the series, which will bow on its Sky Kids on-demand platforms this Fall.

Mittens & Pants (39 x seven minutes) is a fully live-action series featuring best friends Mittens the kitten and Pants the puppy as they go on adventures that are packed with action, humour and drama in their all-animal town of Kibble Corners. Undeniably super cute, Mittens & Pants celebrates the joys of having friends who are different than you. The relationships between the shy, curious kitten, the energetic puppy and their furry (and feathered) friends and families drive the storytelling. Created by Windy Isle Entertainment CEO Phil McCordic, Mittens & Pants’ live-action world, starring real baby animals that are voiced by kids, will bring a uniquely fresh series to platforms worldwide.

“Over the last 18 months, our new distribution team has been focused on financing and distributing productions created by Thunderbird’s Kids & Family and Scripted divisions. We are now also looking to invest in more exceptional commercial properties created by other extraordinary producers,” said Richard Goldsmith, Thunderbird President of Global Distribution & Consumer Products. “With media distribution, consumer products and marketing under one roof, Thunderbird Distribution is looking for content that can both entertain audiences globally, and also develop into brands that are beloved by fans. The world and content that Phil McCordic created for Mittens & Pants meets these objectives perfectly. We believe that preschoolers will fall in love with this special series and its adorable characters. We can’t wait to share it with platforms.”

“We could not think of a better partner than Thunderbird Distribution to bring Mittens & Pants to the global market and are very happy to be working with a team that has been so supportive and enthusiastic from the beginning,” said Phil McCordic. “The series has been incredibly challenging and rewarding to produce and we are confident that we have created something that will delight kids and give them a different kind of series to watch. We’re off to a great start with CBC and Sky and are looking to make tracks all over the globe soon.”

The series was produced with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, with the assistance of Ontario Creates and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, and produced with the financial participation of the Shaw Rocket Fund.

Thunderbird Distribution will be previewing Mittens & Pants to buyers for the first time at Kidscreen Summit, taking place July 18 – 21 in Miami, Florida.

ABOUT THUNDERBIRD ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

Thunderbird Entertainment Group is a global award-winning, full-service multiplatform production, distribution and rights management company, headquartered in Vancouver, with offices in Los Angeles, Toronto and Ottawa. Thunderbird creates award-winning scripted, factual, and animated programming for the world’s leading direct-to-consumer platforms, as well as Canadian and international broadcasters. Thunderbird’s vision is to produce high-quality, socially responsible and meaningful content. The Company develops, produces, and distributes its content through its various divisions, including Thunderbird Kids & Family (Atomic Cartoons), Thunderbird Unscripted (Great Pacific Media), Thunderbird Scripted and Thunderbird Distribution. Productions under the Thunderbird umbrella include The Last Kids on Earth, Molly of Denali, Highway Thru Hell and Kim’s Convenience, among others. Thunderbird is on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @tbirdent. For more information, visit: www.thunderbird.tv.

ABOUT WINDY ISLE ENTERTAINMENT

Windy Isle Entertainment is a newly founded Toronto-based production company dedicated to making entertaining content with strong positive messaging, with an emphasis on inclusion and diversity, both in front and behind the camera.

SOURCE Thunderbird Entertainment Inc.

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