Much-loved children's show Peppa Pig helped television and film rights company Entertainment One more than double pre-tax profits as worldwide sales for the cartoon character hit over $1 billion (£645 million).

Peppa's growing international footprint saw sales for the brand hit the milestone, with over 600 licensing deals now secured for the TV character.

Entertainment One - which owns half of the underlying rights to Peppa Pig, but controls the worldwide exploitation of the brand - said it planned to make her the "most loved pre-school property in the world".

It introduced Peppa into yet more countries in the year to March 31 and is rolling out the brand across new markets such as China and France.

The group is also setting its sights on Latin America for further global expansion, while it is supporting prime-time airing of the show in the US with a recent retail brand launch across Walmart stores.

Group pre-tax profits leapt to £44m in the year to the end of March from £21.5m the previous year, or 13 per cent higher to £88.8m on an underlying basis.

The Peppa Pig boost helped revenues in its family and licencing division to race 71 per cent higher to £60.8m, while earnings more than doubled to £23.8m.

But Entertainment One's group-wide revenue fell five per cent to £785.8m as lower box-office takings across the industry hit its film division, where theatrical sales slumped by 38 per cent to £79.7m.

It said the global movie market was set to improve this year, while its own film schedule is also looking stronger, with releases including The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 and Quentin Tarantino's latest film The Hateful Eight.