Sprout(R) Welcomes The Wiggles to New U.S. Preschool Television Home

Sprout(R) Welcomes The Wiggles to New U.S. Preschool Television Home

World's #1 Preschool Entertainers to Debut Exclusively on Sprout in the U.S. on Monday, August 24, 2009

PHILADELPHIA, May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Sprout, the first 24-hour preschool destination available on TV, on demand and online for kids ages 2-5 and their parents and caregivers, announced today that it will be the new exclusive U.S. television home to the most beloved family entertainers in the world, The Wiggles. On Monday, August 24, 2009, The Wiggles will debut on Sprout as hosts of a new three-hour morning show block to be aired from 6:00 - 9:00 a.m. ET each morning. In addition to this brand new, original programming that will be filmed at The Wiggles studio in Australia next month, Sprout will be airing existing Wiggles episodes throughout the day when they launch on the network in August.

"We are over the moon that The Wiggles are joining Sprout," said Andrew Beecham, senior vice president of programming at Sprout. "The Wiggles are legendary in the preschool world. We are excited to start developing new content with them and establishing them as a vital brand on Sprout. The Wiggles will be fully integrated into all three of Sprout's viewing platforms -- on-air, online and on demand -- and we can't wait to get started on introducing them to new audiences and continuing to build upon their already amazing presence in the preschool market."

"We couldn't be happier to be joining Sprout," said Mike Conway, managing director, The Wiggles Pty Ltd. "Sprout has an ongoing, 24-hour commitment to preschool programming and we share their passion for creating fun and developmentally appropriate programming for children and parents. Sprout's dynamic and fast-growing brand coupled with The Wiggles powerhouse presence in the world of preschool couldn't be a better match."

"We love The Wiggles just as much as kids and parents do," said Sandy Wax, president of Sprout. "The Wiggles are preschool rock stars and we are thrilled to have them join our family of respected and beloved brands like Sesame Street and Barney. Their new morning show block will fit perfectly into Sprout's unique day part schedule that follows the day of the preschooler from breakfast to bedtime."

The Wiggles are currently on a sold-out Australian tour before heading to the UK for the month of June. They return to Australia for a week of well deserved rest before returning to the U.S. mid July bringing their Wiggles Go Bananas Live! for the first leg of their North American tour, which begins on July 17 in Everett, WA. For a complete list of tour dates and other wiggly fun, go to www.thewiggles.com.

Wiggles games, videos, coloring pages and more will be available on SproutOnline.com/TheWiggles in mid July. For additional information on Sprout programs or schedules, visit SproutOnline.com. To find out where Sprout is available in your area, call 1.866.9.SPROUT.

High-resolution images of The Wiggles are available now in the photo gallery on SproutPR.com.

About The Wiggles

The Wiggles, the world's #1 preschool entertainers, performed over 300 shows to more than 1.5 million fans since 2005 in the United States alone. The Wiggles perform over 200 shows annually across four continents. The Wiggles are seen on TV in over 110 countries worldwide. Fans will be able to catch The Wiggles on television exclusively in the U.S. on 24-hour preschool network Sprout beginning August 24, 2009. The Wiggles have sold more than 22.5 million videos and 7 million CDs in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

About Sprout(R)

PBS KIDS Sprout, the first 24-hour preschool destination available on TV, on demand and online for kids ages 2-5 and their parents and caregivers, was created as a partnership among Comcast Corporation, HIT Entertainment, PBS and Sesame Workshop. Since debuting its video on demand (VOD) service in April 2005, Sprout has become the #1 On Demand service for younger children, generating over half a billion views. The 24-hour digital channel, which launched in September 2005 along with the website (SproutOnline.com), is the only channel that follows the day of child from breakfast to bedtime with its distinctive programming. Currently, Sprout is available in 45 million unique households.

The network's program lineup of gold-standard, curriculum-based children's shows includes: Sesame Street(R), Bob the Builder(TM), Barney & Friends(TM), Thomas & Friends(TM), Angelina Ballerina(TM), Caillou(R), The Berenstain Bears(TM), Dragon Tales(TM), Make Way For Noddy(TM), The Hoobs(TM), Fifi and the Flowertots(TM) and more.

Source: Sprout

CONTACT: Jenni Glenn of Sprout, +1-215-286-2703,
jenni_glenn@sproutonline.com; or Alicia McAllister of Rob Bailey
Communications, +1-201-760-0200, ext. 105, amcallister@rbcpr.com, for Sprout

Web Site: http://www.sproutonline.com/

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