HIT Entertainment, producer of children’s shows such as Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder, is being offered up for sale by its private equity parent, Apax Partners.

Apax purchased HIT back in 2005 for £489.4m but is now keen to extract value from the firm by placing it on the open market, a process which will see high value Thomas & Friends (reported to contribute half of the firm’s revenues) marketed as a separate entity from his stablemates such as Pingu and Fireman Sam.

Bids for the company as a whole, or its individual components, are currently being invited with Disney, Viacom and Mattel all thought to be likely contenders.

Since acquiring HIT Apax has overseen a period of flat earnings growth, a factor which is likely to depress any potential offer.