Fifty new jobs are to be created at the multi-award winning Irish animation studio Brown Bag Films.

The company has been bought by one of the largest animation studios in North America - 9 Story Media Group.

Under the deal, the Brown Bag brand will remain intact and the senior management team will continue to lead the company.

Brown Bag is behind the hit kids shows 'Octonauts' and 'Doc McStuffins' - as well as the Oscar-nominated 'Give up yer auld Sins' and Granny O Grim's 'Sleeping Beauty'.

In a statement the company says it will "continue to focus on its international co-productions and commissioned shows, with service work remaining as a key focus for the business".

The firm says the decision was taken after Brown Bag Films' co-founders, Cathal Gaffney and Darragh O'Connell, explored a range of options to take the company to the next level.

"Gaffney and O'Connell opted to combine forces with 9 Story Media Group due to their shared ambition, culture and approach to creativity," it adds.