Category Archives: Entertainment

Yeti Farm Creative’s Sweet Tweets expands to longer format and scores global distributor

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Artist-driven Canadian studio Yeti Farm Creative is bringing a longer-form version of its Sweet Tweets series to Knowledge: Kids on British Columbia’s Knowledge Network, the publicly funded education cable network. The fan-favourite show will premiere on November 1, 2021.

In addition, Yeti Farm Creative (Hotel Transylvania Season 2, Summer Memories) has named Zodiak Kids, part of Banijay (Super Agent Jon Le Bon, Horrid Henry), worldwide distributor for the new 26 x 3.5 story-driven series produced with the financial participation of the Shaw Rocket Fund.

“We’re so excited to bring the Sweet Tweets series to viewers across Canada and around the world,” says Ashley Ramsay, Founder and CEO of Yeti Farm Creative and Co-Executive Producer of the show. “Sweet Tweets has amassed a large and loyal following on YouTube and other digital platforms over the years and we look forward to working with Knowledge: Kids and Zodiak Kids to debut the new longer-form series for existing and new fans everywhere.”

“Zodiak Kids is delighted to have taken on the distribution of this gorgeous yet simple programme,” says Delphine Dumont, SVP of Sales, Acquisitions & Co-Production, Zodiak Kids. “We are looking forward to presenting the longer version to broadcasters globally.”

Sweet Tweets will present character-driven stories about life’s small adventures, featuring a cast of friendly “Tweets” who laugh, play and, especially, sing together. The relatable stories focus on social-emotional lessons for preschoolers, from dealing with disappointments – like being inside on a rainy day and cleaning up big messes – to the simple joys of everyday life such as playing games with friends and learning something new.

The upcoming show expands on the original Sweet Tweets series of song-centred, one-minute digital shorts. Every episode of the longer-form series will include a minute-long, standalone original song by composer Daniel Ingram (My Little Pony: The Movie, Littlest Pet Shop), to be available on iTunes.

The series was created entirely in British Columbia with 2D Harmony. It is set to air on Knowledge Network each weekday at 12:42pm PT and stream across Canada on the free Knowledge: Kids app and online at www.knowledgekids.ca.

 

B.O.T. and the Beasties agrees publishing deal as the show’s audience grows

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Award-winning merchandise, licensing and brand agency Brands with Influence has announced the signing of two new licensing partners for CBeebies show B.O.T. and the Beasties, made by Ragdoll Productions.

Leicester-based Sweet Cherry Publishing, recent winners of Small Press of the Year 2021 at the British Book Awards, is to produce a series of new book formats for the show, with the first release planned for 2022. These will include story books, picture books and creative play books utilising sounds from the episodes.

In parallel, Immediate Media has signed to run regular B.O.T. and the Beasties content in their CBeebies magazine.

“We are delighted to be welcoming two excellent new partners to the B.O.T. family,” says Martin Lowde, MD at Brands with Influence. “The series is proving really popular with the young audiences and with its colourful and eclectic range of characters there is lots of scope for a fabulous new range of books and magazines.”

Sanjee de Silva, Publisher at Sweet Cherry, explained why they were so keen to sign with B.O.T. “This brand is exactly what we have been looking for here at Sweet Cherry. It has longevity, a range of great characters and portrays the fun and educational values that we are proud to align ourselves with. Sweet Cherry’s creative teams have designed a really innovative and exciting new range for the series.”

Brands with Influence will be at BLE next month sharing more details about the B.O.T. and the Beasties licensing programme.

APC Kids scores new international deals for ‘DinoCity’, including Discovery Italia

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APC Kids, the children’s entertainment division of co-production and distribution group APC Studios, has secured a wave of international sales for its preschool series DinoCity, produced by Riki Group in partnership with Animax Production animation studio. The series began rolling out in Europe earlier this year and will premiere in Russia on Karusel TV this Friday 23 October.

The hit 2D animated series will be heading to Discovery Italia, which has picked up free TV rights for broadcast on its channel Frisbee, and All Media Latvia in the Baltics (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) which has secured non-exclusive SVOD rights. APC Kids has also licensed free TV rights to TG4 for the Republic of Ireland and Minika for Turkey.

These new partners join recent sales, which include: Piwi+ (Canal+ Group, France) taking pay TV rights, along with YLE (Finland), ERT (Greece), Ketnet (Flemish Belgium) and MBC (MENA) securing free TV rights. APC Kids also licensed the exclusive free TV rights and non-exclusive SVOD rights to Menart in the Balkans (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Macedonia). The series has already successfully debuted on DeA Junior (Italy) and Tiny Pop (UK).

Lionel Marty, Managing Director of APC Kids, says: “After receiving a hugely positive response to the show’s premiere, we’re delighted to be building on the success of DinoCity by announcing new global broadcast partners. DinoCity is not only fun and adventure-filled but focuses on important themes such as family and friendship which will resonate with new audiences across the world.”

Sandro Sgrulloni, Programming & Content Acquisition Senior Manager at Discovery Kids, says: “We’re very happy that DinoCity is landing on Frisbee. Frisbee is a colourful place where kids can be given full rein to their imagination and we’re sure the stories of this ordinary family – to which the audience can relate – and the everyday situations that turn into amazing adventures, will bring fun and excitement to our viewers.”

Anna Mysskaya, Riki Group Head of International Department, commented: “DinoCity was initially created to harness the demand for truly global animation and we are so excited to see how this story will find viewers all around the world. It rarely happens that the world premiere of a project takes place outside of its origin country and so we are delighted to follow in the success of DinoCity’s debut in Italy and the UK. These new partnerships with Discovery Italia, All Media Latvia and TG4 are testament to the show’s broad appeal and we’re looking forward to shortly debuting the series on Karusel TV channel. We’re sure local Russian viewers will have the same positive reaction as we’ve seen from international audiences so far.”

DinoCity is an original preschool series created by Riki Group, in partnership with Animax Production animation studio, which portrays a family of dinosaurs in a perfectly urban setting. Little Ricky and his elder sister Tyra manage to turn most everyday situations into something quite extraordinary. Their parents will often gladly join them in their playfulness and follow their crazy reasoning, in order to help them channel all that energy and imagination… and to make sure they do not turn the house upside down.

APC Kids co-invested in the production of the 52 x 5’ international version of the series and holds exclusive distribution rights in all territories excluding Russia, CIS and China.

 

One Animation adds new global deals for ‘Oddbods’ and ‘Insectibles’

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Award-winning content creation, distribution and licensing studio One Animation has secured new deals with global VOD platforms and digital partners across the short-form, long-form and seasonal specials of its hit CG-animated series Oddbods, and comedy adventure series Insectibles (52 x 11’).

In the US, Peacock has recently debuted 20 half-hour compilations of the short-form version of Oddbods and season one of Insectibles on its platform. Ketchup TV has acquired VOD rights to season one of Oddbods’ long-form series and themed compilations for the US, UK and Australia. Also for the UK, Discovery has picked up season two of Oddbods’ short-form series and renewed its deal for short-form season one for Discovery’s VOD services.

For Latin America, WarnerMedia has taken SVOD rights for HBOMax for season three of Oddbods’ long-form series and seasonal special ‘The Festive Menace’ (1 x 22’), with both titles also available on Cartoon Network and Boomerang. The long-form version of Oddbods seasons one and two, as well as themed compilations, are also now available on Amazon Prime in new territories, including France, Japan and Latin America.

In a further deal, the Indonesian digital content distributor Migo has taken Oddbods’ short-form compilations (81 x 5’) for its SVOD content delivery network via Migo Download Stations hosted at local retail locations. Additionally, to create a unique experience in-store, customers who purchase Migo’s entertainment pass will receive Oddbods character face masks to help in the fight against COVID-19.

Michele Schofield, SVP Content Distribution at One Animation, says: “It’s fantastic to welcome on board these latest top-tier partners and to make the series even more accessible to new and long-standing fans. Both Oddbods and Insectibles are all about celebrating friendship and teamwork, as well as promoting the power of positivity, so are ideally placed to cross borders and bring joy to families all over the world.”

Oddbods is a three-time Emmy Award-nominated, non-dialogue comedy featuring seven adorable, highly unique pals. Together, despite their differences, they survive the perils of everyday life, unintentionally turning ordinary situations into unexpected, extraordinary, and always humorous events. Quirky but totally charming, Oddbods celebrates individuality in a funny, warm and unexpected way.

Targeting kids aged 6–9 years, Insectibles is a comedy adventure series which follows the adventures of Zak, Gramps and three bio-mechanically enhanced insects as they search for the missing pieces of the ‘Shrinkinator’ – the crazy invention that shrunk Zak and Gramps before it exploded – while evading their enemies.

Singapore-based One Animation is an award-winning animation studio, content producer, digital influencer and distribution company with content that is broadcast in over 180 countries worldwide.  Broadcast partners include Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Cartoon Network and Disney. Oddbods has a staggering 25 billion views across digital platforms, and 26 million subscribers on YouTube. In the last five years, the company has been nominated for more than 20 international awards, including three Emmy nominations for Best Kids’ Animation. The company also has an extensive footprint across retail, gaming and theme parks that include strategic partnerships with Amazon, Walmart, Google, SEGA and China Media Capital.

 

One Animation adds new global deals for ‘Oddbods’ and ‘Insectibles’

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Award-winning content creation, distribution and licensing studio One Animation has secured new deals with global VOD platforms and digital partners across the short-form, long-form and seasonal specials of its hit CG-animated series Oddbods, and comedy adventure series Insectibles (52 x 11’).

In the US, Peacock has recently debuted 20 half-hour compilations of the short-form version of Oddbods and season one of Insectibles on its platform. Ketchup TV has acquired VOD rights to season one of Oddbods’ long-form series and themed compilations for the US, UK and Australia. Also for the UK, Discovery has picked up season two of Oddbods’ short-form series and renewed its deal for short-form season one for Discovery’s VOD services.

For Latin America, WarnerMedia has taken SVOD rights for HBOMax for season three of Oddbods’ long-form series and seasonal special ‘The Festive Menace’ (1 x 22’), with both titles also available on Cartoon Network and Boomerang. The long-form version of Oddbods seasons one and two, as well as themed compilations, are also now available on Amazon Prime in new territories, including France, Japan and Latin America.

In a further deal, the Indonesian digital content distributor Migo has taken Oddbods’ short-form compilations (81 x 5’) for its SVOD content delivery network via Migo Download Stations hosted at local retail locations. Additionally, to create a unique experience in-store, customers who purchase Migo’s entertainment pass will receive Oddbods character face masks to help in the fight against COVID-19.

Michele Schofield, SVP Content Distribution at One Animation, says: “It’s fantastic to welcome on board these latest top-tier partners and to make the series even more accessible to new and long-standing fans. Both Oddbods and Insectibles are all about celebrating friendship and teamwork, as well as promoting the power of positivity, so are ideally placed to cross borders and bring joy to families all over the world.”

Oddbods is a three-time Emmy Award-nominated, non-dialogue comedy featuring seven adorable, highly unique pals. Together, despite their differences, they survive the perils of everyday life, unintentionally turning ordinary situations into unexpected, extraordinary, and always humorous events. Quirky but totally charming, Oddbods celebrates individuality in a funny, warm and unexpected way.

Targeting kids aged 6–9 years, Insectibles is a comedy adventure series which follows the adventures of Zak, Gramps and three bio-mechanically enhanced insects as they search for the missing pieces of the ‘Shrinkinator’ – the crazy invention that shrunk Zak and Gramps before it exploded – while evading their enemies.

Singapore-based One Animation is an award-winning animation studio, content producer, digital influencer and distribution company with content that is broadcast in over 180 countries worldwide.  Broadcast partners include Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Cartoon Network and Disney. Oddbods has a staggering 25 billion views across digital platforms, and 26 million subscribers on YouTube. In the last five years, the company has been nominated for more than 20 international awards, including three Emmy nominations for Best Kids’ Animation. The company also has an extensive footprint across retail, gaming and theme parks that include strategic partnerships with Amazon, Walmart, Google, SEGA and China Media Capital.

 

‘The Adventures of Paddington’ scores a host of Italian licensing deals

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The Adventures of Paddington has secured its first Italian deals since launching on kids’ TV channel Rai YoYo earlier this year, helping Paddington firmly establish his presence in the Italian market. The deals were secured through The Copyrights Group’s agent in Italy, Rai Com, the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of Rai.

Edizioni Play Press will be publishing a range of magazines across a variety of formats, to be available in kiosk channels early next year.

Puzzles and games will be launching in Italy with Clementoni, in a deal that spans multiple territories across Europe from Q1 2022.

Rai Com has also renewed the agreement with Hopplà for character costume events in the Italian market. Paddington and Hopplà have had several years of successful partnership, with Paddington hosting English language workshops alongside meet and greet events and rides on Paddington’s train.

These partnerships follow the successful launch of the series on Rai YoYo, where The Adventures of Paddington airs three times daily, with audience peaks exceeding 200,000.

UNICEF will also be launching Paddington’s Postcards in Italy this October. Paddington’s Postcards offers children and families the chance to learn about other children around the world with Paddington, whilst also contributing to raising life-saving funds for UNICEF. Paddington’s Postcards is already available in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, and Italy will be the first non-English-speaking country in which UNICEF will pilot the successful initiative.

The Copyrights Group is a full-service international IP development agency offering strategic worldwide brand development, licensing and retail expertise. Vivendi is The Copyrights Group’s parent organisation, which operates in Italy and around the world.

Bandai Namco Europe signs new deals with EMP and Rhinoshield for Pac-Man merch and more

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Video game publisher Bandai Namco Europe has closed a direct licensing agreement with EMP for the German-based company to provide exclusive merchandise for Bandai Namco’s Dark Souls, Tekken and Little Nightmares franchises. Categories include apparel, accessories, gifts and more.

In addition, Bandai Namco Europe is continuing to grow its Pac-Man licensing programme, partnering with Rhinoshield to launch a fun phone accessories collection.

Bandai Namco Europe is a leading global publisher and developer of entertainment content for platforms including, but not limited to, all major video game consoles and PC. Its franchises include Little Nightmares, Park Beyond, and the upcoming Unknown 9 Awakening,  developed by the recently acquired Reflector Entertainment, based in Montreal. Bandai Namco Europe serves as the HQ of Bandai Namco Holdings for mainland Europe and ANZ, which is known for producing many of the toy and entertainment industries’ top franchises, including Pac-Man, Tamagotchi and Gundam.

WildBrain’s Teletubbies get ready to rave with new music album ‘Ready, Steady, Go!’

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WildBrain, a global leader in kids’ and family entertainment, is launching brand-new original Teletubbies music content this autumn consisting of 10 digital-first music videos and a full-length album titled Ready, Steady, Go!. Targeted at preschool audiences, the album is the first music release from the Teletubbies in over 20 years and is part of a multi-tiered franchise relaunch from WildBrain leading into the Teletubbies’ 25th anniversary in 2022. The new videos and music tracks were created and produced by WildBrain Spark, the company’s kids’ and family AVOD network and digital studios.

The first four videos – “Ready, Steady, Go!”, “Peek-A-Boo”, “Silly Things” and “Explorer” – premiered in September on the official WildBrain Teletubbies Channel on YouTube. An additional video drops each Saturday until November 20.

With global distribution by Universal Music Canada and Virgin Music Label & Artist Services, the full Ready, Steady, Go! album drops on digital music streaming platforms worldwide on October 15 and will also be available on CD. Created for kids and parents to enjoy together, Ready, Steady, Go! is filled with fun songs influenced by contemporary pop and dance music – all with a playful Teletubbies twist.

To support the music videos and album launch, WildBrain is executing an extensive global marketing, PR and social media campaign that incorporates the playfulness and fun that the Teletubbies are universally known for, as well as some other recognisable faces, including UK celebrity and singer Peter Andre filling the role of the Teletubbies band manager for their return. The Teletubbies have embarked on an international tour to promote the content, with broadcast appearances in the US and UK, and WildBrain will also be partnering with global influencers during the launch period and hosting music-themed events for families in the US and UK into 2022.

As well as recording a new album, the Teletubbies have been busy recently delighting fans with a satirical OK! Magazine break-up exposé, a Pride Month charity fashion collection, a “TubbyCoin” cryptocurrency April Fools prank and a surprise New York Fashion Week take-over by Tinky Winky.

 

 

Redbox enters into multiyear distribution deal with Lionsgate

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Global content leader Lionsgate and Redbox, a leading entertainment company, today announced a multiyear distribution deal under which Lionsgate will handle distribution of Redbox Entertainment titles across home entertainment windows in addition to subscription video on demand (SVOD) licensing for select titles under the Redbox Entertainment brand.

Leveraging nearly 20 years of movie performance data, Redbox Entertainment is well positioned to identify titles and talent that will resonate with consumers.  Recently released Redbox Entertainment films include Capone (Tom Hardy), Shadow in the Cloud (Chloë Grace Moretz and Nick Robinson) and SAS: Red Notice (Sam Heughan and Ruby Rose). Redbox Entertainment expects to release 36 original movies annually including upcoming releases The Last Son (Colson Baker [aka musician Machine Gun Kelly] and Heather Graham), Bandit (Josh Duhamel and Mel Gibson) and Muti (Morgan Freeman and Cole Hauser). Redbox Entertainment titles are available across all major entertainment retailers ensuring these films are enjoyed by the broadest audience possible.

“Redbox has a large slate of films coming in 2022 and beyond, and we’re excited to work with Lionsgate to identify those that are a great fit for their distribution model,” says Galen Smith, CEO of Redbox. “Ron Schwartz and his team have been terrific partners over the years, and we are excited to extend our relationship to tap into their world class distribution prowess to create value for both companies.”

The two companies are also partnering on an agreement to license films and television series from Lionsgate’s 17,000-title library to Redbox‘s fast-growing ad-supported video on demand (AVOD) and Free Ad Supported Television (FAST) services. Redbox has aggressively scaled its AVOD streaming service to include thousands of popular films and television series in the past year while also growing to more than 100 FAST Channels available on its streaming app, with plans to add more in the coming months.

“Lionsgate’s longstanding partnership with Redbox has created significant value for both our companies,” says Ron Schwartz, Lionsgate President of Worldwide Distribution, Motion Picture Group. “That collaboration has evolved into a multifaceted distribution relationship across home entertainment, SVOD and AVOD platforms that allows us to continue to diversify our content offering to our consumers.”

Cyber Group Studios readies new ‘Precious Moments’ animated comedy series for preschoolers

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Cyber Group Studios, the international producer/distributor of animated series and creator of entertainment brands for children and families, is developing Precious Moments, an animated comedy and adventure series for children ages 4–6 based on the gift industry phenomenon of the same name.

The whimsical 52 x 11-min series is created by Scott and Julie Stewart (Kate & Mim-Mim). The development plan also includes four 30- to 60-minute holiday specials.

Precious Moments follows the adventures of 8-year-old Hope and her adorable pet hamster, Sammy, as they work together to help make the children of Heartspring’s precious moments come true. With an abundance of comedy and heart, thoughtful undertones of mindfulness and plenty of fun, action-packed moments, Precious Moments features diverse characters and strong messages of inclusiveness. The series underscores the Precious Moments brand’s core values of loving, caring, sharing and kindness via stories that emphasise sharing feelings, overcoming fears and anxieties, and more.

The Precious Moments brand, best known for its signature range of collectable porcelain figurines with distinctive teardrop-shaped eyes that help celebrate milestones and special occasions in people’s lives, has been a best-selling range of the gift business for over four decades.

“We are thrilled to be working with Cyber Group Studios and a team of thoughtful writers and artists to bring the Precious Moments brand to a new generation of children,” says Shehnaz Safiuddin, Vice President of Product and Marketing, Precious Moments, Inc. “Our updated art style and entertainment content are sure to captivate young audiences while fostering feelings of nostalgia among parents and grandparents.”