Tag Archives: children’s content

Sixteen South’s preschool series Odo prepares to take flight in the US and Latin America

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The recently launched preschool series, Odo – recognised for its warm-hearted and comic storytelling – is taking flight in the US and Latin America following a new broadcast deal between Sixteen South and WarnerMedia Kids & Family.

Under the partnership, the series will air on the company’s upcoming Cartoonito preschool programming block, slated for HBO Max across the two regions. Cartoonito will launch this autumn on HBO Max and Cartoon Network.

Meanwhile, Odo is now set to premiere in the UK on Channel 5’s Milkshake this summer, before rolling out to the German PSB children’s channel, KiKA as well as other territories. Currently in production with co-production partners, Letko, Odo will welcome kids aged three to five into a world of possibilities depicted in its hand drawn, 2.5D animation.

Although he is one of the littlest campers at the Forest Camp for Young Birds, Odo knows he can do absolutely anything that he sets his mind to.

The series aims to teach young children self-efficacy and to believe in themselves. Comedic and warm, with gender neutral appeal, the stories also deal with important themes such as immigration, racism and respect for others, and shows kids how to deal with setbacks in a meaningful way while promoting the development of social skills.

Colin Williams, showrunner and creator of Odo at Sixteen South, said: “Odo has had a fantastic response even before it is completed and is already taking flight around the world. We’re delighted that he has now also landed on the mighty HBO Max Cartoonito strand and that his adventures will be seen by kids all across the Americas – and we hope that they will love him as much as we do.”

Sixteen South Rights are managing the international distribution rights for Odo and Bulldog Licensing has been recently appointed to represent the global licensing rights for the brand.

The WarnerMedia Kids & Family/Cartoonito deal follows recent sales of Odo to Canal+ France, ABC Australia, TVO-Kids! Canada, RTE Ireland, Mini Mini Poland, SVT Sweden, NRK Norway, S4C Wales and VRT Ketnet Belgium.

Odo is produced by Sixteen South and Warsaw-based 2D animation studio Letko with funding provided by the UK government funded Young Audiences Content Fund (YACF), which is managed by the BFI, NI Screen and the Polish Film Institute.

Acamar Films launches Amazon Alexa Skill for its hit preschool IP, Bing

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Acamar Films is extending the reach of its multi-award-winning preschool series Bing with the launch of a new interactive Amazon Alexa Skill, Bing Time.

Developed in partnership with voice design agency Voxly Digital, Bing Time aims to bring together new script writing, high production values and technical innovation to deliver exclusive audio stories and play-along games, in addition to a selection of Bing music and songs.

The Skill has been designed to respond to the rhythm of a child’s day; encouraging movement and active play during the morning and afternoon, while offering calmer bedtime stories and soft music in the early evening.

Jodie Morris, chief content and audiences officer, Acamar Films, said: “We are thrilled to be able to launch Bing’s fantastic new Alexa Skill with Amazon’s Kids+, and can’t wait for Bingsters to start exploring our new digital innovation.

“As with everything we do, we have designed Bing Time to serve the needs of our treasured young audience, and – working alongside the wonderful team at Voxly Digital – I think we have succeeded in delivering something really quite exceptional; providing children with a brand new, immersive way to deepen their relationship with our stories and characters.”

In its 2020 research, Voxly Digital identified that families make up a big proportion of regular voice users in the UK, with two out of three of them actively using their voice-assistants together.

Ravi Lal, CEO of Voxly Digital said: “We wanted to design an experience which was fun and easy for the whole family, so we created a fluid and easily navigable voice app, which gives users what they want quickly: amazing Bing content.

“Behind the scenes, the team put a lot of thought into creating an incredible user experience. Working with Acamar Films, we’ve really pushed the capabilities of the Alexa platform; leveraging videos, animation and recorded audio to bring the world of Bing and his friends to life.”

The Bing Time Alexa Skill is a further extension of Acamar Films’ successful digital programme for their pre-school property, which also includes the mobile app Bing: Watch, Play, Learn. First launched in the UK in September 2019, the app has now exceeded 1 million downloads across the UK, Italy and Poland.

Bing Time will be exclusively launched via Amazon Kids+ from 21 July, with a general audience release scheduled for December 2021.

Sutikki bolsters leadership team with Jo Redfern, Danielle Davies, and Anthea Morrissey

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The London-based children’s entertainment specialist, Sutikki, has bolstered its senior team with the appointment of three seasoned executives in a move to accelerate the growth of its brand portfolio.

Alongside the triple appointment, the firm has outlined plans to make ‘substantial investment in new acquisitions and creative opportunities throughout 2021 and beyond.’

Leading the new appointments, Jo Redfern has been named Sutikki’s global brand director and will be charged with leading the brand development function across the globe to create franchise strategies that support the growth of the company’s IP portfolio.

Redfern has more than two decades of experience in kids’ TV and entertainment properties, and brings with her a keen eye for brand planning honed through past experience with BBC Children’s & Education, The Walt Disney Company, and WWE.

Meanwhile, Danielle Davies has been named new global content strategy and partnerships director. Davies brings a wealth of experience including her time as VP Kids Content Partnership & Revenues for Discovery Kids, along with positions at the BBC and Viacom. Davies will help shape the narrative for Sutikki’s IP by leveraging her knowledge and contacts in the global marketplace.

Finally, Anthea Morrissey has been named the company’s new global creative and product development director, responsible for defining the creative and product development strategy across the globe for each Sutikki IP.

Morrissey’s career includes roles at Walker Books, HIT Entertainment, Warner Bros, NBC Universal and eOne where she set up the creative function and worked globally across consumer products, publishing, live events and themed attractions.

This news follows the announcement late last year regarding the appointment of Hannah Mungo as CEO and Simon Philips as Sutikki’s newest Board member, alongside Frank Patterson, Brett Coker, Jim Garrett and Scott Greenberg.

“I am delighted to welcome Jo, Anthea and Danielle to the Sutikki leadership team. They are all hugely accomplished professionals who bring a wealth of knowledge based upon their experience of shaping the success of some of the most prolific entertainment franchises of all time,” said Mungo.

“I’m excited that they have recognised the ambition and potential of Sutikki and look forward to combining all of our respective talents to drive the company forward to what I’m sure will be a very bright future.”

Epic Story “in discussions” for global toy and broadcast partners for Piper’s Pony Tales as Breyer leads US roll-out

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Breyer Horses has been named the master toy partner for North America and LATAM for a new short form kids’ series called Piper’s Pony Tales, an equestrian-themed series developed by Epic Story Media and the production company Milkcow Media.

The content creation company has confirmed that further discussions are currently taken place with other global partners for toy and broadcast placement.

Targeting pre-schoolers, Piper’s Pony Tales takes a look at the life of ponies through the lens of children’s imagination using articulated puppets. The series will launch this month on a dedicated YouTube channel with Epic Story Media handling all licensing, merchandising, and global content distribution.

Breyer has been named the North American and LATAM master toy partner, drawing on its recognition as a premium maker of authentic, collectable model horses in the US since 1950.

Piper’s Pony Tales follows the adventures of Piper who daydreams about having her own pony. Making do with her toy horse, Spark and her stable play-set, Piper turns her playroom into a setting for Pony Tales as she uses her toy ponies to act out adventures alongside her friends Casey and Paloma.

The series taps into themes of fantasy, freedom, and adventure, as well as the universal magic that every child possesses through their imagination. The series makes use of the dolls as puppets and uses visual effects to animate their faces and bring their stories to life.

The show also features DIY, craft-like sets, empowering kids to create their own stories at home. The series has received financial suport from the Shaw Rocket Fund and the Canada Media Fund through the CMF-SRF Kids Digital Animated Series Programme.

Ken Faier, president and founder of Epic Story Media, said: “We are so proud of Piper’s Pony Tales – from its premise of unlocking kids’ imagination so that they can create magic in their own homes, to the diverse leading cast and the unique style we’re pioneering to bring them to life.

“We are excited to have a strong partner in Breyer, whose expertise has helped us to make sure we remain true to the equestrian way and provided valuable consultation in the development of Piper’s core brand values. We know that this show will connect with all kids who love horses and will inspire a future generation of horse fans as they are encouraged to translate their viewing experience to one of imaginative play with family and friends.”

Tony Fleischmann, president of Breyer, added: “As part of the leading equestrian lifestyle brand of toys, gifts, collectibles and experiences, it is exciting to be part of introducing preschoolers to the enchanting world of horses. Piper’s Pony Tales will create long lasting memories of horse play and a love of horses.”

Hasbro and Entertainment One unveil Peppa Pig content plans through to 2027

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Hasbro’s global content studio, Entertainment One, has outlined a new content plan for Peppa Pig, confirming that 104 new episodes have been given the go ahead for production.

The plans will ensure that a pipeline of fresh content of the popular pre-school IP will be in place through to 2027. The new epsidoe roll-out will bring the total number of Peppa Pig episodes to 485.

Animation studio Astley Baker Davies (ABD), the original creators of Peppa Pig, will work closely with eOne to transition creative production duties to the award-winning British animation studio Karrot, with Andrea Tran at the helm as director. The animation style, music and voice talent will remain unchanged.

“As demand for Peppa Pig remains as strong now as it’s ever been, we couldn’t be more excited to announce that additional new episodes are underway. In creating the global evergreen preschool series, Astley Baker Davies has achieved a rare, once in a generation success story,” said Rebecca Harvey, EVP global brand and marketing at eOne Family and Brands.

“The show’s enduring popularity is a tribute to their skill as storytellers and their dedication to the characters and their craft. We wish them every success as they embark on their next adventure.”

“We remain committed to producing fresh Peppa Pig content that will continue to resonate with each new generation and that will underpin the long-term future of the property. We are, therefore, delighted to welcome award-winning British animation studio, Karrot, who will honour all the elements of the show that make it beloved of families around the world.”

Neville Astley, Mark Baker, and Phil Davies of Astley Baker Davies, said: “Peppa Pig has been a huge part of our lives. It’s a source of great pride that it’s given joy to so many children for so many years.”

“Peppa will always be close to our hearts and we couldn’t be more pleased to be passing the torch to the extraordinarily talented team of artists at Karrot who will continue to deliver our adored Peppa to the world for many years to come.”

Key talent from ABD have been tapped to join Karrot, maintaining continuity and bringing valuable knowledge and experience of making the show over many years. This includes Phill Hall who joins as head writer, having co-written numerous episodes of Peppa Pig since 2007.

Founded in 2008, Karrot is a BAFTA and Emmy award-winning studio that has built an industry reputation and is best known for creating charming British animated series’ including Sarah & Duck.

Jamie Badminton, series producer at Karrot, said: “Peppa Pig has a charm and simplicity that is timeless and universal.  It’s a giant honour to be continuing the legacy that Astley Baker Davies has created. We will remain faithful to their vision and look forward to being part of Peppa Pig’s future, enduring success.”

eOne continues to drive growth for Peppa Pig with an investment in new content, fresh CP lines and wide-reaching brand marketing plans. Series nine kicks off this Spring with the new four-part US special which sees Peppa and family take a road trip around America followed by a further 22 new episodes that will roll out globally throughout 2021.

Inspired by these new episodes, the theme of ‘Peppa Adventures’ will extend into the exciting retail debut of the first global toy line from Hasbro.

 The brand’s digital footprint also continues to expand this year with the release of a second music album in July, new content on the official YouTube channel where Peppa Pig was ranked the number one most streamed kids show of any age in 2020 and new Audio Stories for families to enjoy on-the-go.

In the UK, a partnership between Peppa Pig and Team GB will leverage excitement around the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. More recently, plans for a brand new Peppa Pig theme park in Florida’s Legoland have just been announced to squeals of delight and the attraction is set to open its doors in 2022.

Moonbug Entertainment secures CoComelon exclusive partnership with POPS Worldwide

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Moonbug Entertainment has detailed a new tie-up with POPS Worldwide to bring its library of children’s content to the POPS Kids app. From today, the app will feature 150 episodes of CoComelon, and two new episodes will be released each month, remaining exclusive to the platform for the first six months.

Families will also have access to a number of Moonbug’s live-action and animated series, including episodes – in English and Vietnamese – of Blippi, ARPO, Gecko’s Garage, Go Buster, Little Baby Bum, Toddler Fun Learning and My Magic Pet Morphle.

“At Moonbug, we’re focused on bringing fun, enriching content to kids, and we’re proud to make Moonbug series available to more families around the world through this partnership,” said Nicolas Eglau, managing director EMEA and APAC, Moonbug.

“POPS Worldwide’s impressive reach in Southeast Asia and their commitment to friendly and safe content makes their platforms a perfect home for Moonbug shows. We are keen to further build presence and partnerships in this incredibly fast growing region.”

Esther Nguyen, CEO of POPS, said: “The cooperation between POPS and Moonbug Entertainment is yet another excellent partnership between the world’s leading kids’ edutainment players to bring global hit titles to the Vietnamese kids.

“We believe that with the synergy of our successful brands & platforms, children’s educational entertainment content from these partnerships will help bring the region’s future to new heights.”

Edutainment Licensing lands seven kids’ platforms for season two of Super Geek Heroes

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Edutainment Licensing has secured a raft of deals with no fewer than seven major kids’ platforms, all within the first month of release of the second season of Super Geek Heroes. Season Two features seven new read-aloud picture book videos read by the author and creator David Lawrence Jones.

Platforms picking up Season Two for its kids worldwide audience, include; KidoodleTV, Tubi, AmebaTV, batteryPOP, Toon Goggles, Roku and KidZtube.

Each adventure story features one of the main characters with all the other Super Geek Heroes helping to solve a ‘mission to learn’. The read-aloud picture book videos introduce the listeners to the character’s wider world while delivering a core message that relates to the key development areas within the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Denise Deane, owner of Edutainment Licensing, said: “We are thankful for the overwhelming support of these world class platforms.

“Reading aloud to children has been shown to improve reading, writing and communication skills as well as inspire a lifelong love of reading and we are delighted to be introducing children to the super exciting world of Super Geek Heroes.”

Animaccord inks major broadcast deal for Masha and the Bear with Italy’s kids’ channel Rai

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Animaccord has inked a new broadcast deal with the Italian public media company, Rai, for the fifth season of Masha and the Bear, produced in a new 4k UHD format.

The first episodes of the new season will air daily on Rai Yoyo and Rai Play starting from May 3rd this year, and occupying sme of the best slots on the channels.

“We’re excited with the technical innovations that have been implemented by Animaccord to produce and bring its new Season in 4K, making a breakthrough in preschool serial animation field,” said Annalisa Liberi, head of acquisitions at Rai Ragazzi.

“We’re happy to plunge kids to this Masha and the Bear’s fantasy world that is always close to their daily life & feelings as well as to amaze them with the new scripts and the undiminished energy of the character in exceptional premium quality.”

Alongside the launch of the core show’s new season, on February 27, 2021, Rai will also release Animaccord’s new educational musical project named Nursery Rhymes, where the world-wide famous character Masha leads babies and toddlers through a wonderful world of nursery rhymes, helping them to tap into their hidden talents and develop them. 

This year Animaccord marks the tenth year since the first media deal signed for Masha and the Bear Season one for Rai to premier the cartoon in Italy – the first country outside the home market where Masha and the Bear became a huge success.

Brand-Ward tapped to develop Germany’s Bibi & Tina for global audiences

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The licensing agency and consultancy firm, Brand-Ward has been brought on board to develop a strategy to launch the German children’s brand, Bibi & Tina to a global audience.

Owned by Kiddinx Media GmbH, a leading name in distribution and marketing for children’s audio plays and books, kids’ music, animated features, and apps, Bibi & Tina began life in Germany as a radio play spin-off of the Bibi Blocksberg brand. It was quickly developed into a TV series for ZDF as well as a range of audiovisual productions.

It follows the adventures of Bibi, a girl with special powers, her best friend Tina, and their horses Sabrina and Amadeus. Over its 30 year history, Bibi & Tina has become a major brand in the German market with over 20 million storytellers sold to date, 5.6 million videos sold, a number one soundtrack album, and 1.7 million books shifted.

The IP has been on air with 54 episodes on TV for the last 13 years, a live action series on Amazon Prime, and four feature films. Bibi & Tina has embraced the digital age with 105 million streams per month across all major platforms. 

The brand is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2021, and Kiddinx has launched the 100th episode of the radio play in January. 

Holger Küchler, managing director at Kiddinx, said: “Internationalization has become a priority for our brands. We are pleased that we have found a committed and professional partner in Brand-Ward who will be accompanying us on this journey to bring a smile to every child’s face.”

Karl Blatz, head of international business development at Kiddinx, added: “Bibi & Tina always stood for equality and sustainability. These core values have been with the brand for thirty years and are now more important than ever before. We truly believe that Bibi & Tina provide captivating entertainment that children won’t be able to get enough of.”

Jean-Philippe Randisi, co-founder of Brand-Ward, said: “Quietly and discreetly, Kiddinx has created over the last decades, a number of gems for children with an incredibly enduring success. Bibi & Tina is a favourite brand for kids there, and we are delighted to help Kiddinx fulfil their ambition of making it part of kids’ lives not just in Germany but around the world.”

Atlantyca Entertainment’s Bat Pat arrives in the UK, US, and Canada via HappyKids channel

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Atlantyca Entertainment has partnered with Future Today for a deal that will see 52 episodes of its popular animated series Bat Pat broadcast on the kids and family channel, HappyKids across the US, UK, and Canada.

Available from February 8th, the first season of Bat Pat follows the animated adventures of Bat Pat and his friends Martin, Leo and Rebecca Silver as they cross paths with supernatural creatures that haunt every corner of their hometown Fogville.

According to Atlantyca Entertainment, the series has been warmly received by audiences across the globe, and through its partnership with HappyKids will now be able to hit a target age group of kids across the UK and the US.

“Bat Pat is a captivating animated series for young children. Our new partnership will allow our audience to be entertained by this wonderful series,” said David Di Lorenzo, SVP, Kids and Family at Future Today. “We are happy to be working with Atlantyca Entertainment to provide broader access to their extensive library of quality and engaging children’s content.”

The first season of the series, produced by Atlantyca with the participation of Rai and RTVE, has been sold to more than 100 countries including Italy, Spain, US, UK, Benelux, Sweden, Lithuania, Singapore, Sri Lanka, India, the Middle East, where it has achieved great success.

In 2019, the second season of the series debuted in Italy and Spain, with 52 brand new episodes even scarier and more fun. The second season is a Mondo TV Producciones Canarias, Bat Pat AIE co-production with the participation of Rai Ragazzi and Clan TVE.

The HappyKids channel is both free and COPPA compliant, and is available across numerous streaming platforms and devices, including Roku, Apple TV, AndroidTV, Amazon Fire TV, Comcast Xfinity, Cox Contour, iOS, Android, and most recently, as a linear channel on Vizio Smart TVs.