Amazon will offer streaming TV and physical merchandise in the same online store page for the first time as part of an exclusive U.S. deal with a popular preschool franchise called Fireman Sam. The hub will include TV episodes, ebooks, and physical products from apparel to toys to lunch boxes.
Amazon’s Fireman Sam content hub debuted on June 3rd, and HIT and Amazon will introduce Fireman Sam consumer products in the US for the first time later this year. Fireman Sam is a top rated boys’ preschool show in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Benelux, Israel and Poland, and the #5 preschool toy license in the UK.
Hit Entertainment Vice President Sid Mathur said in a press release, “Working with Amazon, we have the perfect platform to create a new experience that gives fans one place to experience the franchise. This new agreement takes Fireman Sam fans through the entire consumer journey from first engaging with the brand through content on their Kindle Fire or Amazon Fire TV to fulfilling the demand for a deeper brand experience via books, toys and more.”
The deal is interesting because it gives Amazon the ability to create a complete fan experience in one hub on an exclusive basis. Amazon called it a new brand distribution model “pairing the entire offerings of a globally loved children’s property with a global retail platform.”
“We’re thrilled to exclusively bring the popular Fireman Sam merchandise and digital content to Amazon customers,” said Peter Larsen Amazon Vice President of Product Management said.
An Amazon spokesperson told EcommerceBytes that the Fireman Sam hub was the first time TV streaming and physical merchandise has been in the same online store page on Amazon, but said you cannot purchase items via the TV streaming. “Essentially it’s one “online hub” for all items parents could be interested in viewing or purchasing as it relates to the Fireman Sam franchise.”
HIT Entertainment is a division of Fisher-Price and is a subsidiary of Mattel.
