Entertainment One (eOne) has partnered with location-based entertainment company Merlin Entertainments to bring preschool brand PJ Masks to 12 Merlin Entertainments-owned Sea Life aquariums internationally. Under the agreement, Merlin will roll out a branded photo wall, costumes and character appearances, as well as merchandise for the aquarium’s gift shops, starting in February 2020.

All of this will be available at the aquarium’s locations in France, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Turkey, Belgium, Netherlands, Finland, Australia, New Zealand and the US.

This is far from the first time that eOne has partnered with Merlin to bring its properties beyond the screen. Last year, it teamed up with the event operator to launch the standalone indoor play attraction Peppa Pig World of Play in China and the US. eOne has also worked to expand the PJ Masks brand specifically through live events and attractions in the past few years, teaming up with Round Room Presents to launch the first live stage show based on the series in 2017. Growing the show’s global reach further, the next year, eOne partnered with Italian theme park Leolandia to launch a themed attraction.

Sea Life locations have been a big driver for Merlin operator in the past year. In the company’s 2019 interim financial report for the 26 weeks ended June 2019, Merlin reported a growth in its midway attractions (which includes Sea Life) revenue to US$425 million (£324 million), up from US$390 million (£297 million) compared to the same period last year. The number of visitors across all of its attractions has also climbed in the last year to 30.8 million, up from 29.9 million the year before, indicating that demand for live and location experiences is growing.