In a first-time partnership, HIT Entertainment and free-to-air channel TV Azteca have launched a branded preschool TV block in Mexico.

The Niños Siete two-hour block launched on January 4 in the region, airing on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., and is hosted by three siblings, a girl and her twin brothers. The block will air a mix of HIT’s series that haven’t been previously shown in Mexico, including Barney & Friends, Bob the Builder, Thomas & Friends and Pingu.

The sibling-hosted interstitials will introduce the shows, linking them with learning-based activities, songs, and arts & crafts, and along with its website, www.nsiete.tv, will showcase fan letters and original art, submitted by its Mexican audience

To support the new block, TV Azteca is running promo spots across its networks. For HIT’s part, it’s promoting Niños Siete on www.barney.com and the block will also be featured on more than 170,000 HIT DVDs across more than eight titles, set for a 2009 Mexican release, and through Barney Magazine, Kena Magazine and other women’s titles from Editorial Armonía, with the aim of targeting 35 million people.