| Corporate Timeline | |
| 1989 | HIT Entertainment is founded by Peter Orton as a third party program distributor specializing in young children's entertainment with headquarters in the UK |
| 1990 | Art Attack™ makes its debut on CiTV in the UK |
| 1992 | Represents more than 1,000 episodes of young children's programming |
| 1996 | Begins trading on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in the UK |
| 1997 | Receives a full listing on the London Stock Exchange Sets up HOT Animation, a state-of-the-art, model animation studio; HOT's first project is the development of a series based on a character called Bob the Builder™ based on an original idea by Keith Chapman |
| 1998 | Enters into a distribution agreement with Australian preschool brand, The Wiggles® |
| 1999 | HOT Animation's stop-frame series, Bob the Builder™ debuts on the BBC in the UK Secures rights to famed publishing property, Angelina Ballerina™ and commissions an animated television pilot of Angelina Ballerina |
| 2001 | Bob the Builder premieres in the US
Acquires Dallas, TX-based Lyrick Studios Inc., producers of the popular Barney & Friends™ television series which first aired on public television in the United States in April 1992, and the WISHBONE™ television series which first aired on public television in the United States in 1995 Acquires rights to classic animation series, Pingu™ Angelina Ballerina makes her worldwide television debut on CITV in the UK in September |
| 2002 | Acquires family entertainment studio, Gullane Entertainment PLC, whose properties include Thomas & Friends™ and Guinness World Records
Expands its base of operations through the Gullane transaction, adding an office in Asia (Tokyo, Japan), and a second US office (New York, NY) |
| 2003 | HOT Animation digitizes 104 existing Pingu episodes and begins work on new Pingu episodes
Bob LIVE, an all-new stage show launches in the UK to packed arenas; the show then travels to Australia following its sold-out UK run Angelina Ballerina debuts on television in the US on PBS KIDS® |
| 2004 | Angelina is named official children's spokescharacter of National Dance Week in the US |
| 2005 |
APAX Partners/Sunshine Acquisition Limited acquires HIT Entertainment and appoints Greg Dyke Chairman and Bruce Steinberg CEO
Partners with GCap Media to launch FUN radio, a digital radio station for children and families in the UK Launches PBS KIDS Sprout, the only 24-hour digital preschool channel and VOD service in the US, in partnership with Comcast, PBS and Sesame Workshop. PBS KIDS Sprout airs several HIT programs, including Barney & Friends, Bob the Builder and Thomas & Friends; Sprout reaches 18 million US homes within 2 months via Comcast, Cox, Insight, DirecTV and RCN New series of Fireman Sam airs on the BBC and S4C in the UK |
| 2006 |
Enters into a distribution, sales and marketing deal with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment for the Company's extensive portfolio of award-winning children's programming in the US and Canada
Bob the Builder launches a Traveling Museum exhibit through North America through 2011 Unveils its new logo at New York Licensing Show Opens a HIT Entertainment office in Hong Kong Acquires Wobbly Land Thomas & Friends is nominated for a Children's BAFTA in the UK |
| 2007 |
Acquires girl's publishing property Rainbow Magic™, a popular books series that sold more than 15 million copies since its launch in the UK in 2003
Thomas takes to the stage in his first worldwide touring stage show when Thomas & Friends Live! On Stage launches in the US (to be followed by runs in England, Australia and Asia) Bob the Builder exhibition and stage show opens at the London Science Museum Secures representation rights for Fifi and the Flowertots™ and Roary the Racing Car™ for the US and Japan Angelina's Star Performance has its world premiere in the UK before commencing a 13 week tour across the UK Launches JimJam, an international preschool channel, in partnership with Chellomedia, a subsidiary of Liberty Global Inc. Thomas Town, the first US theme park attraction for the Thomas & Friends brand opens at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in San Francisco, and Six Flags New England; the attraction launches at Six Flags Over Georgia and Six Flags Magic Mountain in 2008 Acquires full rights to Fireman Sam from S4C and begins production on a new CG-animated series |
| 2008 |
Sells Guinness World Records
Announces plans to open the first Little Big Club, a branded attraction in DubaiLand Thomas Land UK, the first of its kind in Europe and the second in the world, opens at Drayton Manor in Staffordshire, UK Launches the first-ever Rainbow Magic website, www.rainbowmagiconline.com Jeff Dunn is named President and CEO of HIT Entertainment Appoints LIONSGATE as HIT Entertainment's North American Home Video partner, responsible for the distribution, sales and marketing of HIT's extensive portfolio Begins production on a new CG animated series, Angelina Ballerina: The Next Steps, with co-production partners Nick Jr. UK and WNET/Thirteen Expands its strategic relationship with Aardman Animations, adding responsibility for the consumer products roll-out of Aardman's new preschool show Timmy Time in North America and managing Aardman's Themed Attractions business worldwide for Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Timmy Time Fifi and the Flowertots™ and Roary the Racing Car™ launch on PBS KIDS SproutSM in the US Sells its stake in FUN radio in the UK Expands its partnership with Chapman Entertainment, to include representation of Fifi and the Flowertots™ and Roary the Racing Car™ in Live Events and Attractions worldwide |
| 2009 |
Enters into a strategic relationship with Fisher Price, naming them the global master toy licensee for Thomas & Friends™ in a multi-territory, multi-year deal
Announces the launch of HIT Movies, a new Los Angeles-based division dedicated to making family-oriented movies out of HIT's library, as well as developing new stories for future HIT family movies; industry veteran Julia Pistor is named Head of HIT Movies |
