DHX Media-owned reschool properties Teletubbies and In the Night Garden are bolstering their retail presence in China following new licensing agreements with BBC Worldwide Asia and Shanghai V-Pop.

The agreement with Shanghai V-Pop is for the Chinese home entertainment rights to Teletubbies, with DVDs launching at retail this year. This deal further expands the reach of the preschool brand in China, where it already holds a roster of licensees including Phoenix, Hangzhou- Z-Shine and Chinoco. Teletubbies was the first western preschool property to air on state broadcaster CCTV, reaching an audience of 300 million children.

The over-arching deal complements DHX Media and BBC Worldwide’s sub-agent agreement with UYoung Media Group, which was appointed this year to spearhead a licensing and merchandising push for In the Night Garden in China, where it airs on CCTV.

In the Night Garden is also making strides over in the UK, where interactive publisher P2 Entertainment is set to launch a new branded app.

Developed by London-based digital creative agency Scary Beasties, the app will target preschoolers with a release on iOS and Android scheduled for next month.

Both Teletubbies and In the Night Garden were welcomed into the DHX family following the company’s purchase of UK-based Ragdoll Worldwide for US$27.7 million in cash last September.