'Peppa Pig' on Course to Reach $2B Target After Taking Asia, US by Storm: Report

By Charissa Echavez / May 25, 2016 11:31 AM EDT
(Photo : YouTube Screenshot) The 'Peppa Pig' franchise is expected to be worth $2 billion over the next three to five years.

Famous preschool character Peppa Pig is reportedly on course to become a global brand worth $2 billion, thanks to soaring TV and merchandise sales across Asia, France, and the United States, The Guardian reported.

According to its owner Entertainment One, Peppa managed to sweep in over $1.1 billion worth of retail sales in 2015. The company also recently closed 500 new or renewed deals with its TV and product licensing partners in the year.

Sales are targeted to reach the $2 billion mark over the next three to five years, Giles Willits, Entertainment One's chief financial officer, said.

The Peppa franchise has not only taken the United States and Europe by storm but also Asian markets including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and the Philippines.

"We do believe we can get Peppa to $2bn in sales in the medium turn," Willits said. "We are really only just starting in the US, which is far and away the biggest market for licensing and merchandising in the order of 50% of the total [globally]."

"Momentum is really building there and there are opportunities opening in markets like France and China," he added.

A whole new series with 52 episodes is set to be ready for broadcast in July.

Entertainment One is also the maker and distributor of hit TV series and films such as Grey's Anatomy, Spotlight and The Hunger Games. Its TV division also includes shows like Rookie Blue and Saving Hope and distributes famous zombie apocalypse series The Walking Dead.