Enters into a joint venture with Chilean Big Bang Entertainment
Copag, a Brazilian Cartamundi group company, leader of the playing card segment, announces the expansion of its operations in Latin America by means of a joint venture agreement signed with Big Bang Entertainment.
With the agreement, Copag will increase its brand portfolio and expand its distribution in the Latin American territory. Together, both companies shall have a broader geographic reach that will allow them to grow in new countries and channels. “We are thrilled with this new opportunity in the Chilean market. Big Bang shares the same values and vision for the future, and is completely aligned with our strategic growth objectives”, says Ana Carolina Gonçalves, Copag CEO.
The Big Bang – Copag joint venture shall generate important benefits for consumers and clients alike, since it shall provide new offers of complementary brands, products, and services for the Big Bang portfolio. This includes the integration of the acquisition by Cartamundi, of the largest Playing Card manufacturer in the world, The United States Playing Card Company, with brands such as Bicycle and Fournier.
According to Paulina Abud Elías, General Manager of the new Big BangCopag company: “This association is a great opportunity to strengthen the leadership position in terms of children’s collectible and game entertainment in Chile and in the entire Latin American region.”
Big Bang is now Big Bang- Copag
In the coming months, both companies start preparations of their workflows to facilitate the integration. “We are thrilled with this partnership and excited with the challenge of writing a success story together, One Group, One Team”, concludes the Copag CEO.
Cartamundi is Latin for “Cards for the World.” With a history dating back to 1765, Cartamundi is the world’s leading manufacturer of card & board games and digital solutions. With a network of owned sales offices, design centres, 13 state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, and a workforce of over 2,500 people, Cartamundi is a prominent and growing supplier to the global cards, games, and toys industry. In 2019, Cartamundi generated a revenue of approximately $440 million, and in December 2019 acquired the $118 million business of The United States Playing Card Company. Legendary games such as Monopoly® and Pokémon® run off the Cartamundi production lines, as do many different varieties of playing cards and card games for consumers as well as casinos. With its strong brands such as Bicycle®,
BEE®, Hoyle®, COPAG®, and Grimaud®, Cartamundi created a compelling range of playing cards, children’s card games, and family games. These products are found in major retailers across the globe, contributing to fulfilling the Cartamundi purpose of “Sharing the Magic of Playing Together.” Cartamundi’s corporate headquarters are in Turnhout, Belgium. Manufacturing facilities are located in Japan, India, Brazil, Poland, Germany, France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Ireland. In the U.S., Cartamundi has manufacturing facilities in Dallas, Tx, East Longmeadow, Ma and Erlanger, Ky.
Copag, a company with 112 years in the market, is the leader of the playing card segment in Brazil and the world. The company is part of the Cartamundi Group since 2005, and holds a wide portfolio of products that also includes children’s and teen’s games, collectible cards, personalized cards, and game accessories, consisting of more than 100 products, with famous titles such as Mico, Uno, and Pokémon. Official supplier of playing cards for the World Series of Poker, the biggest and most important Poker tournament in the world, Copag is present in 44 countries and in the most distinguished casinos and tournaments all over the world. The company is also present in the digital market, with free apps for iOS and Android.
BIG BANG was founded in 2008, with the dream of entertaining children teens, and adults by sparking their creative and social spirit. Recognized for its avant-garde design and quality, the brand is currently developing licenses by means of collectibles, albums, card games, and minitoys, among other promotional activities, with operations in the Chilean territory and other countries in the region. On the other hand, Big Bang has worked with the largest licensors worldwide and is also the official distributor of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, as well as the administrator of the Pokémon Organized Game for Chile since 2010.
