News round-up: Little Dot takes ‘Wombles’ onto social; Beckham’s Studio 99 moved under Authentic label

The Wombles

Little Dot takes Wombles onto social

All3Media’s Little Dot Studios is to make social media content to support “classic and brand new” animations from kids brand, The Wombles.

The deals sees Little Dot managing Facebook output and YouTube channels featuring the Wombles, which are owned by Latch Media.

The new content will target a younger-skewing demographic with “classic content” that highlights the sustainability messages that the Wombles have become famous for.

As per the blurb, The Wombles “are fictional pointy-nosed, furry creatures that live in burrows on Wimbledon Common, where they aim to help the environment by collecting and recycling rubbish in creative ways.”

The book and animation series are well known in the UK, having been first launched in the the 1960’s. New content will also be available to audiences on YouTube this year.

Authentic Studios to house Beckham, O’Neal labels

Authentic Brands Group has launched a new studio unit to develop film, TV and commercials, as well as acting as the home for Shaquille O’Neal’s label Jersey Legends and David Beckham’s Studio 99.

LA-based Authentic Studios will explore the potential of using IP owned within the group to create new content, as well as acquiring rights to third-party material.

The division, which will also house Sports Illustrated Studios and Authentic Productions, is set to finance and coproduce programming.

Authentic owns brand rights for talent ranging from Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley to Muhammad Ali. It recently worked on Netflix’s Agent Elvis.

Colin Smeeton, president of Authentic Studios, said: “Authentic Studios is unique in its ability to leverage Authentic’s in-house roster of brands and a deep catalogue of IP to develop and produce content in all forms with 360-rights control. Each of our four labels features a style of storytelling resulting in compelling content for all traditional and streaming mediums.”