BBC agrees seven year In the Night Garden deal

CBeebies has inked a deal with DHX Media for In the Night Garden that will allow it to screen the show through to 2020.

Canada-based kids powerhouse DHX Media recently acquired the hit preschool show as part of a US$27.5 million deal for Ragdoll Worldwide.

The show has proved popular in the evening bedtime hour slot on CBeebies, UK pubcaster the BBC’s preschool channel. It is also carried on the BBC’s iPlayer catch up service. The Ragdoll series originally launched on CBeebies in 2007.

The new deal gives the BBC rights to the 100 30-minute episodes of the live action and animated series for a seven-year period until 2020.

New toys and merchandising will roll out through that period.

Kay Benbow, controller, CBeebies said: “CBeebies is dedicated to delighting its young audience and is pleased to extend transmission of In the Night Garden for a further seven years. The programme charms our youngest viewers with its magical journey of discovery and sense of humour and is the core of our extremely popular Bedtime Hour.”