Garfield finds new home at Nickelodeon
August 7, 2019
By Nik Roseveare
Viacom has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Paws – the entity holding global intellectual property rights to the Garfield and the U.S. Acres franchises. The acquisition is expected to close in the upcoming weeks and will see Viacom develop new Garfield content under the Nickelodeon brand across all platfroms.
Viacom said the acquisition of Garfield is part of Nickelodeon’s strategy to be the home for the biggest franchises kids and families love, and it expands Nickelodeon’s growing portfolio of influential properties that already includes SpongeBob SquarePants, PAW Patrol, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and an all-new animated Star Trek series.
Said Nickelodeon’s President, Brian Robbins: “This acquisition marks another step in our evolution toward being kids’ first stop for the best new content and characters, so we’re incredibly happy to have Garfield join our growing roster of globally loved franchises and to introduce this cool cat to a new generation of fans.”
Following completion of the acquisition, Nickelodeon plans to develop a new Garfield animated television series. Global merchandising rights to Garfield will be managed by Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products (VNCP), including the property’s existing portfolio of licensees. Garfield creator Jim Davis will continue to produce the Garfield syndicated comic strip.
“Great content is core to the strength of our brands, and Garfield is a beloved character that continues to be part of the cultural zeitgeist with universal resonance across all ages,” said Sarah Levy, Chief Operating Officer of Viacom Media Networks. “The acquisition of Paws, Inc. provides another opportunity for Viacom to leverage our platforms to extend the global reach of iconic IP.”
Pam Kaufman, President of VNCP, added: “Garfield is a global evergreen franchise that is a natural fit with Nickelodeon and our portfolio of iconic properties. With fans around the globe that span both kids and adults, we are excited to ignite Garfield into a multi-generational consumer products juggernaut and further deliver on VNCP’s ‘Every Age, Every Aisle’ mission.”
Created by cartoonist Jim Davis, Garfield is the most widely syndicated comic strip in the world (according to Guinness World Records), and the franchise spawned movies, TV shows, stage shows and merchandise. Garfield has received four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Programme, and Davis was inducted into the Licensing Hall of Fame in 1998.