MUMBAI: Nickelodeon has acquired the exclusive US broadcast and on-demand rights for the new Teletubbies series for broadcast on its Nick Jr. channel.

Nickelodeon has also taken all 365 classic Teletubbies episodes from the original series for Noggin, its new mobile subscription service for preschoolers. The series has been commissioned by CBeebies in the UK.

DHX Media, an international player in the creation of content for families and children licensed the show to Nickelodeon.

DHX Media SVP distribution Josh Scherba said, “There has been overwhelming international interest in the new Teletubbies series, and appetite for the classic episodes remains exceptionally strong. With Nickelodeon on board for the US, as well as CBeebies in the UK and further deal announcements pending, we are building incredibly strong foundations for the next-generation Teletubbies.”

The timeless, unique and much-loved Teletubbies are re-imagined for a new generation in 60 brand new episodes for 2016, starring costume characters Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po. With rewarding rituals, sound play, and physical comedy, new-generation Teletubbies will build upon many familiar and beloved features of the original series, but offer some exciting and surprising new developments too. With the Teletubbies landscape replaced and replicated by a beautiful, detailed model that will be enhanced via CGI, there will be freedom to apply large doses of creative imagination to Teletubbies stories. The wonderful new world of the Teletubbies will resonate with young preschoolers, reflecting child development and learning in a stimulating and contemporaneous manner.

Teletubbies first launched in March 1997 and became one of the most successful global children's brands of all time. It has reached over one billion children to date and the original episodes have aired in over 120 territories in 45 different languages. It was the very first western pre-school property to air on China's CCTV reaching an audience of 300 million children.