In continuing to expand Peppa Pig’s presence in China, eOne has appointed Alpha Group as master toy partner for the hit preschool property. Alpha Group will debut an extensive new toy line featuring play sets, figurines and role-play items at the end of 2018.

To keep up with the brand’s consumer-products growth in the region, eOne has appointed Jennifer Pang as licensing director, Leo Tsoi as hardgoods manager, Joyce Lauw as director of product development and Debra Ng as VP of marketing, all based out of its Hong Kong office. The recent hires come shortly after eOne launched its preschool series PJ Masks in China for the first time on Tencent, iQIYI and Youku.

Following Peppa Pig‘s 2015 broadcast debut on national broadcaster CCTV, the brand’s Chinese licensing program now includes more than 45 partners in apparel, publishing, digital and confectionery categories. More than 40 million books and seven million plush products have been sold in the region since April 2016, along with branded and animated emojis that have been downloaded 20 million times.

eOne has also recently been ramping up its Peppa Pig live-event offerings in China, teaming up with Merlin Entertainments to launch the first Peppa Pig attraction in Shanghai. It is also planning a number of branded pop-up and mall events. Beyond CCTV, Peppa Pig is available in China on multiple VOD platforms including Youku, iQIYI and Tencent.

Alpha Group, for its part, recently struck a deal with Nickelodeon to serve as master toy partner for SpongeBob SquarePants. The toyco’s upcoming line will include toys, collectibles, plush and novelties, and is set to debut in 2019.

From Kidscreen