The Blair Partnership has been appointed to handle the global franchise expansion of the iconic The Wombles IP across content, licensing, gaming, publishing, music, and live experiences, with a YouTube channel set to launch this summer.
Created by Elizabeth Beresford almost 60 years ago as a publishing IP, it spawned a TV series that ran for two seasons in the 1970s, returning for three seasons in the 1970s.
The property’s global rights have now been consolidated into a single ownership structure, enabling the new franchise plan.
The Blair Partnership has taken on the management of worldwide rights and commercial strategy across television, film, audio, publishing, theatre, live events, digital media, gaming, apps, consumer products, and third-party licensing.
New content will begin to roll out this year to reintroduce the characters and their eco-conscious messages to contemporary audiences. A YouTube channel arrives in the summer with remastered episodes of the previous series, plus newly commissioned live-action formats aimed at family co-viewing. There will also be an interactive digital game, audio productions, storybooks, publishing formats, and more.
Neil Blair, founding partner and agent at The Blair Partnership, noted, “The Wombles is an iconic British brand with strong cultural appeal, distinctive characters with core values that translate and resonate globally. It is a rich content opportunity, and with rights now aligned plus a clear development pipeline in place, the property is ideally positioned for expansion across multiple platforms and categories. We see significant potential to build The Wombles into a multi-platform international franchise for a new generation of audiences.”
