March 28, 2011 www.C21media.net
A new Italian animated series about volleyball-playing teenage girls is coming to MipTV next month, courtesy of LA-based Foothill Entertainment.

Spike Team (26x30') airs on Rai 2 and is produced by Rai Fiction and Lucky Dreams, with sales handled by Milan-based TeamWorks. Its deal with Foothill gives the latter exclusive distribution in all English-speaking territories.

http://www.banijayinternational.com"Coming from Santa Barbara, which is a Mecca for volleyball in the US, we feel right at home with Spike Team," commented Foothill topper Jo Kavanagh-Payne.

The deal follows an earlier one giving Latin American distribution rights to Mexico's Rose Entertainment, unveiled at Natpe in January. TeamWorks is headed by former Jetix Italy boss Maria Romanelli.

Based on an idea by Italian volleyball champion Andrea Lucchetta, Spike Team has aired on the Italian public channel every Sunday since November 2010. Recently greenlit for a second season, the toon is up for a Pulcinella Award at next month's Cartoons on the Bay festival.

Ed Waller
24 Mar 2011
© C21 Media 2011

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