By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
Moonbug Entertainment has just appointed gaming and entertainment veteran Ashley Maidy as Managing Director of Consumer Products.
The studio, owned by Candle Media, has produced some of the biggest kids’ entertainment brands in the world, including its megahits CoComelon and Blippi. Both of those franchises boast successful and growing licensing programs.
“What makes Moonbug shows like CoComelon and Blippi so special is their ability to inspire kids to learn and grow while having fun,” said Maidy. “Millions of families around the world have fallen in love with these stories and characters, resulting in passionate fandoms. I’m thrilled to bring my expertise building franchises to Moonbug, connecting more families to these brands through toys, apparel, books, and more.”
Maidy comes to the role with 25 years of experience in the entertainment and gaming industries. She most recently worked at Riot Games as global head of consumer products, where she oversaw manufacturing, licensing, ecommerce, and esports event merchandising sales for League of Legends, VALORANT, and the Emmy Award-winning show, Arcane.
Maidy joined Riot after nine years at Activision Blizzard, where she led the company’s licensing and partnerships for Call of Duty, Skylanders, Candy Crush, and other franchises.
Prior to Activision, Maidy worked on a wide array of film and television properties while at Fox Family Worldwide and Sony Pictures Entertainment. She was part of the executive team that catapulted the Spider-Man film franchise into a billion dollar brand at retail.
Moonbug says Maidy will be responsible for expanding Moonbug’s consumer products business, connecting licensing and retail partners to millions of CoComelon, Blippi and other Moonbug fans around the world. She will report to René Rechtman, founder and CEO of Moonbug Entertainment.
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As part of the role, Rechtman says Maidy will lead the company’s consumer products team, developing product strategies for Moonbug brands across consumer goods, publishing, live events and experiences.
“Consumer products are instrumental to how we engage with fans, as more and more families want to bring the Moonbug stories and characters they love into their daily lives,” said Rechtman. “Ashley understands how to build deeper connections with fans. It shows in her track record of building global franchises for some of the most iconic games and movies in the past two decades. Her vision and expertise will bring our consumer products offering to the next level.”
For more information on Moonbug Entertainment, please visit www.moonbug.com.
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