By Allison Watkinson TLL Reporter Crunchyroll is launching a long-term anime-focused celebration called Ani-May with global retail and digital licensing partnerships. The partnerships will include a variety of consumer products collections, digital activations, and in-store promotions based on licensed anime series. The licensed consumer products will include apparel, … [Read more...] about Crunchyroll Launches Cleverly Named ‘Ani-May’ Celebrations
Children's Shows
BBC’s Canine Pop Star Bluey Releases Second Album
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief The BBC's top kids' show Bluey has just released a second album, following the chart topping performance of Bluey: The Album. Released on April 21, Bluey: Dance Mode! is the follow up to an initial, award-winning music collection that has been streamed more than 200 million times. The debut album landed at number 1 on both the … [Read more...] about BBC’s Canine Pop Star Bluey Releases Second Album
Kid’s Channel Pash Expands on Amazon Prime to France and Poland
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Less than a year after its launch, the Prime Video kids' channel Pash is expanding into the France and Poland markets. Pash is a joint effort by Studio 100 Media and ZDF Studios, and offers viewers a wide selection of kids & family programs. The Pash channel became available in France on March 8, and in Poland on March 20, carrying a … [Read more...] about Kid’s Channel Pash Expands on Amazon Prime to France and Poland
Squirrel Media to Acquire Majority Stake in Mondo TV
By Allison Watkinson The Squirrel Media Group has signed a binding letter of intent to acquire 74.24% of European animation studio Mondo TV. Under the terms of the agreement Mondo TV Studios would be integrated into Squirrel Media. The company says it reached an agreement with Mondo TV S.p.A – one of the largest European producers and distributors of animated content – … [Read more...] about Squirrel Media to Acquire Majority Stake in Mondo TV
Teletubbies Producer Kenn Viselman Launches Online Streaming Platform
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Kids' content producer Kenn Viselman has a new mission in life, launching an online entertainment and retail platform. Viselman, best known for huge hits like Thomas the Tank Engine and Teletubbies, announced this week the unveiling of itsybitsyWOW.com, a platform for smaller or independent content producers. The reason is … [Read more...] about Teletubbies Producer Kenn Viselman Launches Online Streaming Platform
Epic Story Media to Rep Arabic Animated Series From Bidaya
By Allison Watkinson TLL Reporter Bidaya Media has appointed Epic Story Media as the content and licensing agent for its animated series, The Adventures of Mansour: Age of AI. Launched in 2017, Epic Story Media (ESM) is a children's franchise development and investment company that provides support to IP creators in the areas of licensing, production, distribution, and … [Read more...] about Epic Story Media to Rep Arabic Animated Series From Bidaya
Falcon’s Beyond to Produce Animated Series Based on Katmandu Resort Characters
By Allison Watkinson TLL Reporter Falcon’s Beyond has began development on its first animated preschool series based on characters from its Katmandu entertainment franchise. This announcement follows the launch of the company's second Katmandu Theme Park in Punta Cana, which officially opened to the public on March 15, 2023. The upcoming preschool show features Boro … [Read more...] about Falcon’s Beyond to Produce Animated Series Based on Katmandu Resort Characters
Random House to Publish Books for Hasbro’s Kiya Series
Random House Children Books and Hasbro have partnered on a publishing program for Kiya and the Kimoja Heroes. The action-adventure animated pre-school series just launched in the US on Disney Junior, with the first four episodes now streaming on Disney+. The brand-new publishing lineup based on the kids’ series will launch in summer 2024. “We are so excited to finally be … [Read more...] about Random House to Publish Books for Hasbro’s Kiya Series
Analysis: Florida’s Policies Will Impact Licensing
By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Many citizens in Western democracies have been alarmed by the way various governments have cracked down on free speech—not just for individuals, but for companies and media organizations. The trend is particularly alarming for Western brands working in countries like China, where any criticism of government policy can result in harsh … [Read more...] about Analysis: Florida’s Policies Will Impact Licensing
Sesame Workshop Launches Program for Children With Autism
By Allison Watkinson TLL Reporter Sesame Workshop has released new educational resources for Autism Acceptance Month featuring licensed Sesame Street characters. The resources were created as part of the Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children initiative which was founded in 2015 with the help of more than 250 organizations and experts within the autistic … [Read more...] about Sesame Workshop Launches Program for Children With Autism