BBC Studios and Penguin Random House continue 'Bluey' publishing deal

BBC Studios and Ladybird will continue the successful book publishing deal for the TV show “Bluey”.  

The renewed partnership sees Penguin Random House secure rights for all languages in the UK, US and the rest of world excluding Australia, New Zealand and China, each of which have their own Penguin Random House contracts with BBC Studios.

Ladybird, an imprint of Penguin Random House (PRH) Children’s UK, has been publishing the Bluey series since 2021. Bluey made the top 20 children’s chart 15 times in 2023 and the top 20 pre-school chart 105 times and featured every single week of 2023.

Ladybird’s 2024 list includes the first Bluey lift-the-flap formats, a Jigsaw Puzzle Book and Where’s Bluey? at Christmas.

Since Penguin Young Readers began publishing Bluey in the US in October 2020, the series has become the fastest-growing licensed book brand across the country.

To date, over 8.5 million books have been sold. This year, two series titles became New York Times bestsellers: the picture book Bluey: Sleepytime by show creator Joe Brumm, which spent 25 consecutive weeks on the Picture Book list, recently hitting number one, and Love from Bluey by Suzy Brumm.

In Europe, the Middle East and Africa, PRH Children’s UK-based rights team has sub-contracted 22 foreign-language translation deals for Bluey books on behalf of BBC Studios. The series is also a bestseller across Spain, France and Germany, as well as in countries such as Korea and Columbia.

Jan Paterson, director of book and audiobook publishing at BBC Studios, said: "As Bluey fandom continues to soar, we look forward to bringing even more Bluey stories inspired by the beloved TV show to families, inspiring cherished reading moments for children and their parents around the world."

Francesca Dow, m.d. of PRH Children’s UK, commented: “The success of Bluey is down to its exceptional storytelling, which clearly distinguishes it from so many other children’s brands. Play and family fun is at the centre of every story, but real-life emotions and challenges are subtly addressed too.   

“A preschool TV show which can capture the hearts of adults, as well as children, is a truly rare thing and we’re proud to be a part of bringing those stories to an even wider audience through our books.”

Leanne Gill, publishing director for licensing at PRH Children’s UK, added: “Hilarious and heartfelt storytelling is at the very core of the brand, so we and our partners at Penguin Workshop in the US can’t wait to keep bringing these stories to life on the page through a variety of engaging picture books, fun family activities and innovative novelty formats.”

Ladybird’s Bluey series has sold 2.3 million copies for £11.6m over 185 different editions, according to Nielsen BookScan, including making £3.7m for the first 37 weeks of 2024 alone.

Following its debut in Australia in 2018, the Bluey TV series has gained millions of fans around the world. The Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning animated TV phenomenon airs in over 60 countries. It was the second most streamed show in the US last year and is the number one kids show on CBeebies and Disney+ in the UK.