Sprout® Is Set To Debut New Float In The 86th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade®

Sprout® Is Set To Debut New Float In The 86th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade®

For a chance to win tickets to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and see Sprout's float live, go to SproutOnline.com to enter the Chica Squeakstakes

NEW YORK, Sept. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- This Thanksgiving, 24-hour preschool television channel Sprout(®) takes to the streets of New York City with its new float in the 86(th) Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade(®). Rolling down the streets on Thursday, November 22, the new Sprout float will feature one of preschool television's most beloved characters, Chica the Chicken, along with her Sprout friends who will entertain millions of kids on Turkey Day.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120910/NY71440 )

"For more than 80 years the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has been the ultimate venue for children's entertainment," said Amy Kule, Macy's Parade executive producer. "Sprout's mission is one that perfectly aligns with the Parade's entertainment for kids goal and we are thrilled to welcome Chica and her friends from Sprout to the line-up this year on a truly whimsical float that will be a big hit with millions of spectators."

"This Turkey Day is all about Chica the Chicken and her new series debuting on Sprout on November 24," said Sandy Wax, president of Sprout. "Sprout is so proud to be a part of this long-standing family event, and Chica and all her friends are so excited to be performing in the Parade."

Designed and constructed by the magicians at Macy's Parade Studio, the Sprout float will be a kids delight complete with a barn and tree house for Chica and the gang. The new float joins the Macy's Parade line-up in celebration of the The Chica Show, set to premiere exclusively on Sprout, Saturday, November 24. The Chica Show mixes live action and animation, following Chica the Chicken and her cast of friends as they explore all the whimsical, humorous costumes and accessories in the Costume Coop - a playful shop filled with every costume imaginable. When it closes, she and her friends magically transform into animated characters and set off on adventures that offer teachable moments for preschoolers - whether it's embarking on a voyage with Vikings to discover why manners are important, or jetting off to a rock star concert to discover why practice makes perfect. Each episode takes viewers on a journey into Chica's imagination where problems are solved, questions are answered and faraway lands are explored.

Chica first became a superstar on The Sunny Side Up Show, the only live television show for preschoolers. As host of the show, Chica receives thousands of interactions from fans every month in the form of emails, photos, birthday cards and weather reports.

To hail the new float and launch of the show, the network is kicking off Sprout's Chica Squeakstakes on September 9 at SproutOnline.com. Chica fans will have the opportunity to vote for the outfit that Chica will wear in the sneak peak episode of The Chica Show which will air on Halloween. Once users vote for their favorite outfit, they will be entered in the sweepstakes to win a trip to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The voting and entry period will end on October 15 and the winner will be announced on The Sunny Side Up Show on October 31. Official entry details and rules are available on SproutOnline.com.

The 86(th) Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade airs nationwide on NBC-TV, on Thursday, November 22, 2012 from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM in all time zones.

About the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade:

With more than 50 million viewers across the country and more than 3.5 million spectators that line up along the streets of New York City each year, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a national icon that has grown into a world-famous holiday event. For more than 80 years, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has marked the official start of the holiday season. Growing in size and scale, the Parade proudly marches down a more than 2-mile route in New York City with more than 8,000 participants in tow including Macy's employees, their families, celebrities, athletes, clowns and dance groups spreading holiday cheer. The Parade also features America's best marching bands, fabulous floats and Macy's signature giant helium character balloons. For more information on the Macy's Parade please visit www.macys.com/parade or call the Parade hotline at (212) 494-4495.

About Sprout(®):
Available in over 50 million homes, Sprout is the first 24-hour preschool destination available on TV, on demand and online for children ages 2-5 and their parents and caregivers. 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 a preschooler from breakfast to bedtime with its distinctive, interactive programming and original hosted blocks. Sprout's VOD offering is the #1 on demand service for younger children with over one billion views.

Sprout is a partnership among NBCUniversal, PBS, Sesame Workshop and Apax Funds. Its program lineup of gold-standard, curriculum-based preschool shows includes: Sesame Street(®), Bob the Builder((TM)), Barney & Friends((TM)), The Wiggles(®), Caillou(®), Pajanimals((TM)), Thomas & Friends((TM)), LazyTown((TM)), and more.

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SOURCE Macy's

Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120910/NY71440
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Macy's

CONTACT: Orlando Veras, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, +1-646-429-7450, Orlando.Veras@macys.com; or Jenni Glenn, Sprout, +1-215-286-2703, Jenni_glenn@sproutonline.com

Web Site: http://www.macys.com/parade


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