NickToons U.K. Picks Up "Beyblade" Revival

The first of 51 episodes of "Beyblade: Metal Fusion" will begin airing on NickToons U.K. in September, according to Corus Entertainment's Nelvana Enterprises.

The boys' series, which is co-produced by Nelvana and D-Rights, is a revival of an original series based on the Japanese manga. Hasbro was named the master toy licensee this year outside of the Middle East and Asia, where Tomy holds the rights. Hasbro plans to release a toy line this spring in Canada and this fall in the U.S. The range will include battling tops, each with five interchangeable parts for building, and a unique Web code to unlock real-time battles at www.beybladebattles.com.

"Beyblade has always been a favorite with kids and has developed into a truly classic brand," says Lynn Chadwick, vice president of worldwide sales and distribution at Nelvana Enterprises. "NickToons is a great broadcast platform to drive awareness of the latest iteration of the series, bringing it to the attention of a brand new audience, many experiencing it for the first time."