Spider-Man Merchandising L.P., the limited partnership between Sony Pictures Consumer Products and Marvel Entertainment, announced an impressive first wave of licensing deals based on the Spectacular Spider-Man animated series, which is slated to debut on the top-rated over-the-air Kids' WB Saturday morning block on March 1st, 2008.  The array of licensees includes Hasbro (master toy licensee), Bendon Publishing (publishing), Wear Me Apparel (master apparel license), Giant Merchandising (t-shirts), Berkshire Fashion (headwear, cold weather gear, and hosiery), IMT (sporting goods), Fast Forward (back-to-school), Jay Franco (domestics), and Fashion Accessory Bazaar (back-to-school and storage). 

Sony and Marvel have been highly successful in their previous joint licensing ventures based on the Spider-Man live action movies and they clearly hope to take the Spectacular Spider-Man to a higher level of public awareness and success than the average Saturday morning cartoon series.  Together with the Kids' WB Sony and Marvel are planning a major marketing campaign including a major in-school Milk Media effort that will reach 85% of U.S. schools (see 'Major Marketing Campaign for Spidey Cartoon') as well as heavy online and over-the-air promotions.

In what can only be interpreted as a major sign of confidence in the new series Marvel and Sony ordered 13 additional episodes of Spectacular Spider-Man (bringing the total order to 26 episodes) long before the first episode even aired on Kids' WB (see 'More Spectacular Spider-Man Cartoons').