Sweet Cherry Publishing signs deal with CBBC show 'The Next Step' 

Leicester-based children’s book publisher Sweet Cherry Publishing has signed a publishing deal for CBBC’s show “The Next Step”.

The licensing agreement was closed by Maya Maraj, Sweet Cherry’s head of licensing and commercial, and licensor and producer of "The Next Step" Boat Rocker.

Maraj said: “We are delighted to be working with Boat Rocker on publishing for ‘The Next Step’. The show has built a huge and loyal fan base over eight series and we can’t wait to introduce them to brand new books. The cast and licensing team are brilliant to work with and we can’t wait to collaborate on creative marketing and publicity campaigns for this globally established brand.”

With eight seasons and over 230 30-minute episodes, “The Next Step” has aired on broadcasters around the globe including CBBC, BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Sky, and more worldwide platforms.

The brand has generated over one billion YouTube views between user-generated and official content, and other brand partners include dance workshops at Pineapple Studios, apparel, footwear and accessories stocked by Next and Netflix pop-up stores in George at ASDA, live tours, and regular content in Top of the Pops, Go Girl and Girl Talk magazines. New deals have also recently been signed with Matalan and Morrisons.

Nicola Herrmann, v.p. of brand management and licensing at Boat Rocker Studios said: “We are delighted to be stepping out with Sweet Cherry publishing on this new deal which will see ’The Next Step’ leap off the screen and onto the page with this yearbook packed full of behind-the-scenes information and fun. We know this is just the sort of thing that our loyal fan base is looking for.”

Sweet Cherry is launching The Next Step: Official Yearbook in summer 2023, with cast members actively promoting the book releases on social media.