17 Facts About HIT Entertainment

HIT Entertainment Limited was a British-American entertainment company founded in 1982 as Henson International Television, the international distribution arm of The Jim Henson Company, by Jim Henson, Peter Orton, and Sophie Turner Laing.

HIT Entertainment was one of several partner companies, alongside NBCUniversal, PBS, and Sesame Workshop, that founded PBS Kids Sprout, with many of HIT's shows airing on the channel as a result at the time.

HIT Entertainment continued distributing programming by initially signing popular British series Postman Pat and the long-running Alvin and the Chipmunks series.

HIT Entertainment then financed and distributed animated feature films based on The Wind in the Willows and Peter Rabbit books.

In 1996, HIT Entertainment was listed on the AIM to raise funding; it used the funding to launch HIT Entertainment Video that produced direct-to-video programming in the UK.

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In 1998, HIT Entertainment formed its own animation production company, HOT Animation, and its Consumers Product Division.

In 1999, HIT Entertainment had 10 first-run television series in the United States and started an American subsidiary.

HIT Entertainment, which had long been suggesting that it intended to expand its character stable through acquisitions, HIT Entertainment, which had long been suggesting that it intended to expand its character stable through acquisitions, nearly found a partner in early 2000, when the company held talks with Britt Allcroft, the British company that held the licenses to such popular characters as Thomas the Tank Engine, Captain Pugwash, and Sooty.

On 22 August 2002, HIT Entertainment officially opened its Canadian office in Toronto, Ontario.

In March 2003, CCI Entertainment re-acquired its stake from HIT which was part of the purchase of Gullane and its library rights in Canada.

On 26 August 2005, HIT Entertainment announced an agreement with NBCUniversal, PBS, and Sesame Workshop to launch the world's first 24-hour preschool television channel entitled PBS Kids Sprout, with HIT Entertainment supplying programming for the channel as a result at the time.

In 2006, HIT closed its DVD sales and distribution arm in the US and contracted with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment for DVD distribution.

HIT Entertainment continued to sell and distribute its own DVD output in the UK.

In 2008, HIT hired former Nickelodeon executive, Jeffrey D Dunn, as chief executive and moved DVD distribution from 20th Century Fox to Lionsgate Home Entertainment.

HIT Entertainment had put the rights to Sooty up for sale in October 2007.

In March 2009, HIT Entertainment started its HIT Movies division in Los Angeles, California, with Julia Pistor as division head, to create films based on the company's franchises.

On 31 March 2016, HIT Entertainment was absorbed into a newly created division called Mattel Creations.