Nelvana has expanded its licensing work in a deal with L.A. prodco Cloudco Entertainment to serve as the exclusive Canadian licensing representative for the Care Bears brand.

The Corus Entertainment-owned producer, distributor and licensor will oversee new and continued licensing deals for all publishing, merchandise and promotions for the long-running kids brand.

The deal comes ahead of the Care Bears’ 40th anniversary in 2022, with a number of licensing and retail programs around the milestone in the works, including the introduction of Canada-inspired bear True North Bear.

Recent Canadian releases from the kids brand include Care Bears: Unlock the Magic (pictured) on Family Jr. and Télémagino and an expansion of the figure and plush toy line from master toy partner Basic Fun! For fall 2021. Other partners include Penguin Random House for publishing, NTD for apparel, Bioworld for accessories and Franco for home consumer products.

“Nelvana has a long and revered history with Care Bears, having produced two films in the 2000s – Care Bears: Journey to Joke-A-Lot and The Care Bears’ Big Wish Movie,” said Mellany Masterson, head of Nelvana Enterprises, in a statement. “We look forward to working with Cloudco, Canadian retail partners, and licensees to promote the brand while expanding Nelvana’s extensive portfolio that appeals to a multi-generational demographic.”

Nelvana recently entered the lifestyle licensing and merchandising space in a partnership with fellow Corus-owned company Kin Community Canada. The deal will see Nelvana secure global licensing and distribution agreements for content creators Lauren Toyota, vegan chef and bestselling author, and Alexandra Gater, a home decor expert.