Inspector Gadget was tracking down new investors yesterday after his licence holder floated on the London market with a value of £105.1m.
DIC Entertainment, which has a library of about 2,800 half-hour episodes of animation, said the London listing provided the platform for expansion in Europe. The flotation pitches it into competition with companies such as Entertainment Rights and Noddy owner Chorion, which are using the growth in digital television to generate fresh interest in established children's favourites.
In addition to Inspector Gadget, DIC holds the licences for characters such as Sabrina, Strawberry Shortcake, Sonic The Hedgehog and Care Bears.
Its strategy is based around signing deals for the shows to be shown by broadcasters, before exploiting the brands through DVDs and other merchandising.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article