TV Kids October 2020

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TVKIDS

WWW.TVKIDS.WS

OCTOBER 2020 EDITION

Windowing Strategies / Buyers / Mondo TV Special Report / ViacomCBS’s Jules Borkent Super RTL’s Claude Schmit / M6 Group’s Philippe Bony / Cyber Group’s Pierre Sissmann

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12 TV KIDS

CONTENTS

Time to Reflect

FEATURES

19 MONDO TV REPORT

A look at the new developments at the kids’ and family entertainment production and distribution company.

44

There has been a resounding declaration from within the global TV industry about just how much diversity and representation matter, both on- and off-screen, and it is perhaps even more imperative when it comes to children’s content.

Ricardo Seguin Guise Publisher Anna Carugati Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani Editor Kristin Brzoznowski Executive Editor Chelsea Regan Associate Editor David Diehl Production & Design Director Simon Weaver Online Director Dana Mattison Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Genovick Acevedo Sales & Marketing Coordinator Andrea Moreno Business Affairs Manager

Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development TV Kids ©2020 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website: www.tvkids.ws

Not only is it of paramount importance for young ones to identify with characters in the shows they’re watching and see themselves reflected back, but it’s also vital that they see characters who are nothing like them—of different races, physical abilities and family structures than their own.

A 2019 report from the children’s media company Hopster finds that the majority of the top preschool shows poorly represent those with different abilities, LGBTQ+ and the working class, and have high rates of gender stereotyping, pushing BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) characters into the background. For example, none of the 50 most popular preschool shows in the U.K. had lead characters who are differently-abled. Also, many shows focus on “privileged” families, and there were negative depictions of working-class characters. According to the report, only 6 of the 50 top shows had lead BAME characters, and only 7 percent of the episodes alluded to an LGBTQ+ character, usually very fleetingly.

The good news is, things are changing; creators, producers, commissioners and buyers of children’s programming are all stepping up. In this issue of TV Kids, we surveyed various buyers, from linear and streaming platforms, about the types of shows they are looking for. Many of them pointed to inclusivity and diversity as issues they were looking to address in the programs they acquire or commission. Another feature in this edition tackles the challenges that distributors face with regard to rights and windowing, as IP owners look to fully maximize the value of their properties.

TV Kids hears from ViacomCBS Networks International’s Jules Borkent about serving audiences during lockdown, and Cyber Group Studios’ Pierre Sissmann on the company’s growth. This issue also celebrates the 25th anniversary of Super RTL, with CEO Claude Schmit reflecting on the channel’s history and his ambitious plans for its future.

M6 Group’s Philippe Bony discusses the company’s plans to invest in the market-leading kids’ portfolio that is home to Gulli, Canal J and TiJi, which are all marking milestone anniversaries this year. We also have a special report on Mondo TV Group.

—Kristin Brzoznowski

GET DAILY NEWS ON KIDS’ PROGRAMMING

36 CAN WE SHARE?

The business of distributing kids’ shows has become increasingly complex.

44 CATCHING A HIT

A range of buyers discuss the types of shows they are looking for.

INTERVIEWS

54 ViacomCBS’s Jules Borkent

56 Super RTL’s Claude Schmit

66 M6 Group’s Philippe Bony

74 Cyber Group Studios’ Pierre Sissmann

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9 Story Distribution International Donkey Hodie / Guitar & Drum / Luo Bao Bei

Donkey Hodie

Inspired by Fred Rogers and his mission to help kids navigate childhood, the 9 Story Distribution International title Donkey Hodie follows the titular donkey and her pals.

The show “empowers preschoolers to dream big and overcome obstacles in their own lives,” says Alix Wiseman, senior VP of distribution and acquisitions. A band of instruments forges a community together in Guitar & Drum, a preschool series about diversity, music and friendship. The second season of Luo Bao Bei, from Magic Mall Entertainment and Cloth Cat Animation, “is a one-ofa-kind property, and we fell in love with the lead character’s irrepressible determination and the funny and touching storylines about growing up and being part of a family,” says Wiseman.

“9 Story’s distribution team is looking forward to exploring the digital space at MIPCOM this year.”

—Alix Wiseman

Acamar Films Bing The fourth season of the Acamar Films highlight Bing is currently rolling out around the world, as the company seeks out new linear and digital platform partners for the animated preschool show. “Bing reflects the universal highs and lows, joys and pitfalls of being a child,” says Eroulla Constantine, director of sales and distribution at Acamar Films. “Our stories are meaningful, timeless, authentic and globally relatable; we especially evaluated and developed locations and characters that would be identifiable to children everywhere.” The company credits the series’ quality animation and its multiplatform distribution strategy for Bing reaching kids across the globe. “To our audience, Bing is their friend, and at a time when many of us are separated, the show helps children to feel they’re connected,” says Constantine.

CAKE

Bing

“We remain as committed as ever to working with wonderful global partners and delivering great experiences for preschool audiences.”

—Eroulla Constantine

Jorel’s Brother

Jorel’s Brother / Tish Tash / Total Dramarama Among the series CAKE is spotlighting is Jorel’s Brother, which follows the adventures of an awkward and nameless 9-year-old boy who is overshadowed by his older brother. “Every child has, at some time, felt sidelined by a sibling, classmate or friend, which makes Jorel’s Brother very relatable, and we are thrilled to be introducing this series to the international market for the first time,” says Ed Galton, chief commercial officer and managing director at CAKE. The preschool series Tish Tash, which Galton notes was created through “a truly global approach,” takes its viewers out on adventures with a young bear, her bear family and her imaginary friend.

The third season of Total Dramarama, the prequel to the Total Drama franchise, is also available.

“Working in our industry has meant that we have been fortunate to have been less impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.”

—Ed Galton 80 WORLD SCREEN 10/20

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CBC & Radio-Canada Distribution Amos, The Mask Hunter / ZamZoom’s Animal Adventures / Gary’s Magic Fort CBC & Radio-Canada Distribution’s kids’ slate includes Amos, The Mask Hunter, set in a medieval fantasy world where myths and legends come to life. ZamZoom’s Animal Adventures lets kids discover wildlife while zooming through space on an intergalactic expedition. Li’l Doc takes audiences on a journey through the world of medicine, while Gary’s Magic Fort helps preschool-aged viewers navigate the world of emotions. CBC & Radio-Canada Distribution has developed an expertise in working with and nurturing creative talent to produce unique and entertaining kids’ programming, says Mia Desroches, director of content distribution partnerships. “We are eager to extend this collaborative approach to the international community through financing, co-distribution and the development of new business models,” she adds.

Gary’s Magic Fort

“We have a lineup of great new kids’ programs this year, featuring some fantastic journeys, adventures and creatures, both real and imagined, that will delight and entertain.”

—Mia Desroches

Crunchyroll My Hero Academia / Captain Tsubasa / Tower of God Crunchyroll has positioned itself as the premier home for anime for over ten years. “Thanks to our unique position, we recently crossed a major milestone of 70 million registered users and 3 million subscribers, demonstrating that the growth around anime shows no sign of slowing down,” says Waell Oueslati, acquisition and licensing director. Crunchyroll’s top properties in 2021 will include My Hero Academia and Captain Tsubasa in Europe and the Crunchyroll original series Tower of God and The God of High School. “Anime continues to grow in popularity all over the world,” Oueslati says. “We see anime’s evolution from an exclusively Japanese category to a worldwide sensation as one of the most fascinating case studies in modern branding history and a testament to the power of anime’s ability to tell rich, captivating stories.”

“Anime has become a celebrated part of pop culture.”

—Waell Oueslati

Cyber Group Studios Droners / Orange Moo Cow / Bananimals Leading Cyber Group Studios’ list of highlights, Droners is an adventure-comedy series for 6- to 10-year-olds that follows Team Tikis’ quest to win the Whale Cup. “In this visually and narratively stunning show, we wanted to underline to kids in a fun way the great issues of our planet,” says Raphaelle Mathieu, senior VP of sales, acquisitions and new media at Cyber Group Studios. The series is co-produced by Cyber Group Studios, Supamonks Studios and La Chouette Compagnie. The animated preschool series Orange Moo Cow centers on 6-year-old cow Zoh, her little brother Boh and her loving family and friends, while Bananimals sees the animal inhabitants of a farm village regularly asking Gordon the Bull for help and advice.

Droners

“Let’s work together to bring kids fun, enthusiasm, discovery and self-confidence!”

—Raphaelle Mathieu 82 WORLD SCREEN 10/20

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Dandelooo Royals Next Door / Pompon Little Bear / Billy the Cowboy Hamster Targeted for 7- to 12-year-olds, Royals Next Door is a 2D animated series on offer from Dandelooo about a princess and her family who move to the suburbs. Also in the company’s catalog, Pompon Little Bear is based on the picture books by renowned and much-loved French author and illustrator Benjamin Chaud. The 2D adventure-comedy series for preschoolers is a story of a mischievous, cheerful and playful little bear. Billy the Cowboy Hamster is based on a series of six books by Dutch author and illustrator Catharina Valckx. “We are quite demanding of the visual style, so these series show beautiful creative designs, which emphasize the characters and portray and highlight themes that will appeal to global audiences,” says Emmanuèle Pétry Sirvin, co-founder and partner at Dandelooo.

Pompon Little Bear

“We believe in fun stories based on good writing talent and strong development.”

—Emmanuèle Pétry Sirvin

eOne Family Brands My Little Pony: Pony Life / Ricky Zoom / Treehouse Detectives The combination of Entertainment One and Hasbro has created a powerful roster of kids’ programs for eOne Family Brands to present to the international marketplace, with a catalog that includes Peppa Pig, My Little Pony, Transformers, Power Rangers, PJ Masks, Ricky Zoom and more. There’s a new My Little Pony series rolling out, Pony Life. “The series explores the funny side of friendship, following the hilarious adventures of the world’s most famous ponies,” says Monica Candiani, executive VP of content sales. There’s also a second season of Ricky Zoom coming this fall. Meanwhile, Treehouse Detectives follows bear brother-and-sister amateur sleuths Toby and Teri along with their kind and curious animal friends.

“The series is a perfect fit for the 3-to-5 demographic as it brims with positivity, teamwork and humor,” says Candiani.

Ricky Zoom

“We are thrilled to have some of the most popular and recognizable family brands in the world today.”

—Monica Candiani

Squish

Federation Kids & Family Presto! School of Magic / Squish / Find Me in Paris Marking Federation Kids & Family’s first collaboration with TeamTO, Presto! School of Magic is based on STUDIOCANAL’s The House of Magic. The title features a group of curious kids who dream of becoming magicians.

Federation also has in its catalog a pair of series produced by its sister company Cottonwood Media: Squish and Find Me in Paris. The former is a science series set in a town inhabited by single-celled organisms, while the latter is a live-action tween drama about a time-traveling ballet dancer from 1905 Russia trapped in modern-day Paris.

“The timing of [Squish] is perfect, as it provides a lighthearted platform to potentially create conversations for children about viruses, bacteria and more,” says Monica Levy, head of sales at Federation Kids & Family.

“We have come up with some interesting ways of establishing a personal rapport with our buyers as if we were at the market this year.”

—Monica Levy 84 WORLD SCREEN 10/20

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The Dream Factory 360° Approach to Property Management

M

ondo TV began life as a widely admired third-

Paris and Mondo TV Suisse in Lugano are active in the pro-

party film distributor. Fifty years later, as a group

duction and distribution of animated television series.

of independent companies, it is one of the

The Mondo TV Group as a whole combines in-house pro-

largest European producers of animated content, both in-

ductions with a program of strategic alliances that allow it

house and as a production partner. It has a strong and

to co-produce successful series across the world and for the

growing licensing division. And it is still a major name in

world. Today, Mondo TV focuses on many opportunities—

distribution, with a library containing many thousands of

from animation to drama to reality TV for kids, teens and

hours of classic entertainment.

families—across a large number of media and business

The holding company, Mondo TV S.p.A., listed on the

channels, including linear TV, OTT and streaming.

Milan stock exchange, is headquartered in Rome and spe-

The licensing division opened in 2010 and works with

cializes in the international co-production, production and

the most prestigious brands in the business, notably in

distribution of animated content. Mondo TV Iberoamerica

Italy and Iberia, the group’s core markets. The opening of a

is listed on the Madrid stock exchange and manages

new CGI production center, with the aim of regularly cre-

the Tenerife-based preproduction hub Mondo TV

ating 3D productions, is another step on the road to

Producciones Canarias, which is now part of its ongoing

founder Orlando Corradi’s dream of creating a fully inte-

involvement in the production and distribution of anima-

grated company, one that can claim a global leadership

tion and also of live-action content. Mondo TV France in

position in the creation, distribution and licensing of IPs.

TV KIDS

3

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time television and movie industry experts Ulli Stoef and Jo Daris. We plan to develop, co-produce and distribute eight series over the next four years, covering, between us, northern and southern Europe, as well as South America, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. This is an important development for both parties. For Mondo TV, it continues the group’s drive to develop high-quality partnerships with some of the finest talent the world has to offer. For both parties, this is an opportunity to build new, highquality and successful cross-media brands and take control of all distribution channels. We are delighted with the partnership’s progress to date and excited about its prospects.

TV KIDS: How have you evolved your business model and positioning given the changes in the landscape?

CORRADI: The group’s business model changed following the 2008 crisis. We knew that we needed a sound financial base and the listing on the stock exchange of

Matteo Corradi

By Mansha Daswani

ondo TV Group’s history dates back to 1965, when Orlando Corradi founded the operation to bring Japanese anime series into the Italian market. Today, the Mondo TV Group is a powerhouse in European kids’ and family entertainment, delivering a 360-degree approach to managing its extensive portfolio of IPs. Matteo Corradi, CEO of Mondo TV, tells TV Kids about the company’s strategy and ambitious plans for the future.

M

TV KIDS: How is Mondo TV positioned within the Italian and European animation sector today?

CORRADI: Mondo TV is a major European producer of content—from animation to drama to reality TV—for kids, teens and families, both in-house and as a production partner across TV, OTT and streaming. Mondo TV also distributes programming from its vast library of animated content. We are profitable, debt-free and have a major expansion plan. This includes building on the success of the group’s licensing division, Mondo TV Consumer Products, which was founded in 2010. With the expansion of the production capability of Mondo TV Producciones Canarias, we can now boast the potential for almost entirely European creative development of IPs, from the scripts to the final mixing: preproduction, visual development and 3D CGI animation in the Canaries and postproduction in Italy.

To strengthen our presence internationally—and with particular focus on growing our presence in German- and English-speaking territories—we have forged a strategic alliance with Toon2Tango. We are both honored and delighted to be working with Toon2Tango, the new kids’ and family entertainment venture headed up by long-

our subsidiaries (Mondo TV Suisse, Mondo TV France and Mondo TV Iberoamerica) gave us that. We also realized that we had to adapt to new OTT and streaming platforms and to the opportunity various forms of digital media represent for brand exposure. We also saw the need to strengthen efforts in merchandising and associated toy development. The production hub in the Canary Islands has been very important to this approach: it allows us to bring much of our international work closer to the European market without additional costs thanks to the region’s tax incentives.

This business model has also given us a measure of resilience during the unexpected challenges thrown up by the ongoing pandemic.

We plan to penetrate more European markets and to build on the growth of the licensing and merchandising business unit, while continuing to work with partners outside Europe to gain access to new markets, new skills and new ideas.

As you can see, we don’t waste time. That’s partly because, as a family-run group, we react quickly to change.

TV KIDS: Tell us about your 360-degree approach to brand management.

CORRADI: Our business model has evolved a great deal in the last 50 years. Today, we’re a leading proponent of the 360-degree approach to property management. We don’t just build TV series; we build franchises—right from ideas and early development through writing, funding and production to broadcast positioning and sales and licensing activities. Why?

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TV KIDS

It’s mainly to do with timing. If we control all or most of the process, we can ensure the delivery of the finished product, timed to support broadcasting schedules and licensing programs.

TV KIDS: You have many partners globally. Tell us about the importance of these alliances. What has made for such successful partnerships across borders?

CORRADI: The Mondo TV Group as a whole combines inhouse productions with a program of strategic alliances.

This began four years ago when we started to take part in international co-productions, working on important IPs owned by third-party companies—all major players in the sector. The aim was to take our content distribution base worldwide, alongside a solid licensing program. Of course, this also means we work with regional leaders in their fields, all of which have a strong talent base. Our recent animated co-productions have included Robot Trains, a co-production with the Korean group CJ ENM, and Invention Story, co-produced with York Animation of China. And we don’t just pursue cross-border cooperation.

The recent MeteoHeroes project, launched in 2020, is a coproduction with the leading Italian weather forecasting authority MOPI—Meteo Expert.

As for the future, the alliance with Ulli Stoef and Toon2Tango, as I mentioned earlier, will combine the creative and business strengths of both companies to extend the reach of both into multiple markets. We are also in the process of building alliances in North America.

TV KIDS: What are your plans for the CGI division at Mondo TV Producciones Canarias? How will this new development help you to further your overall goals for the business?

CORRADI: We offer preproduction, visual development and 3D CGI animation from Mondo TV Producciones Canarias, our best-in-class European production studios in Tenerife owned by Mondo TV Iberoamerica.

In fact, the Canaries division was a dream of my father’s that this year became a reality when we bought the office in the center of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where about 60 people will soon work. We have been there for about four years.

We learned about recent incentive programs approved by the Canary Islands government that could significantly bring down the cost of production in Europe and thus bring our work base closer to our European co-producers. We moved quickly to become the first foreign investors in Tenerife—further evidence that we react quickly to change.

The initial aim for the Canaries division will be to make one or two CGI productions a year. Of course, we will keep up our

collaborations with overseas partners, but now we also have a large animation studio in Europe.

TV KIDS: What are your overall priorities for Mondo TV in the 12 to 18 months ahead?

CORRADI: Firstly, to remain focused on being a strong player in the European animation market. The pandemic and its economic effects may mean that there are fewer resources available to this sector than before. We shall have to see.

However, I feel our size and reach will serve us well, as will our diverse portfolio, both in terms of content and target audience. This will continue; our projects will certainly remain in step with emerging trends, but they will also be innovative and engaging. But technology and new media won’t sit still, and neither will we. The challenges of digital for this sector will grow. We are therefore working to integrate new cross-platform IPs for tweens and teens into our output.

We will continue to develop our newer hits like MeteoHeroes, which deals with the highly topical issue of climate change. This is a 100-percent Italian co-production that is now rolling out in multiple territories. Invention Story is making its presence felt in Europe as well. Our work with Toon2Tango will see the arrival of a number of shows, notably Hey Fuzzy Yellow, an incredible combination of educational content with pure and crazy entertainment, and Agent 203, a funny and exciting new sci-fi (or better yet, spy-fi!) animated comedy-adventure series about a young girl who becomes an intergalactic secret agent. Grisù, an update of a kids’ classic, about a firebreathing dragon who wants to be a firefighter, is another property we feel will have enormous appeal. New IPs Masked Cinderella and Annie & Carola will engage and amuse kids—and broadcasters—everywhere in the coming years. We are also keen to build on established successes like Sissi the Young Empress and Robot Trains.

We have also successfully built a growing portfolio in recent years in areas such as live action (Heidi Bienvenida), cross-platform teen lifestyle TV (House of Talent) and more. We will continue to diversify when the right opportunities present themselves.

MeteoHeroes

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HIGHLIGHTS (Comedy adventure 2D, 52x7 min.) A Mondo TV co-production with Meteo Expert—Icona Meteo, a leading Italian weather forecasting group with a strong international reputation, MeteoHeroes addresses issues like climate change, ecology and respect for nature through the amazing adventures of six superpowered children. These are important messages delivered in a fun, engaging way in a series full of action and comedy that helps young viewers understand the issues and how they can help the planet, all while getting entertained! And of course, these kids also have to face the same challenges as their peers: handling friendships and differences, teaming up and growing up—all while trying to save Planet Earth!

(Comedy adventure 3D CGI, 52x11 min. coming soon) Following the international success of the second season of Robot Trains, the third series is on the way in 2021. In season three, the Railwatch team—trains that can become robots to defend Rail World and its natural energy sources—are finally ready to face the villainous Train X and his trio of mischievous sidekicks. When Train X takes control of the deadly dark energy, a mysterious Silver Railwatch comes to the rescue and joins forces with the Railwatch team.

Will they all be able to stop the lethal energy before it destroys Rail World?

(Comedy adventure 3D CGI, 26x22 min.) Presented by Mondo TV and Toon2Tango.

Zoe is a 13-year-old girl living with her dad in the suburbs. One day she meets an alien named Ulav, who drops an out-of-this-world secret: Zoe’s mom is a secret intergalactic agent gone MIA (missing in action). Zoe follows in her mother’s footsteps, pledging to protect the galaxy and find her lost parent. Together with her new alien friend and Quigley and Rock, her two best friends, Zoe’s mission is to protect the planet, protect Zoe‘s bracelet from falling into the wrong hands, save the galaxy—and try to have a normal teenage life.

(Edutainment/emotainment 2D/live-action hybrid, 52x11 min.) Presented by Mondo TV and Toon2Tango. Combines educational content with pure and crazy entertainment. A fiercely fun romp through infinite possibilities starring a group of extraordinary characters led by a fuzzy yellow ball and driven by a lot of music in various styles, this is a show that defies conventions and has its own set of rules. It’s about social and emotional storytelling, independent discovery, self-expression, exploration, confidencebuilding and learning through play. And it’s very, very funny.

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Guru Studio Pikwik Pack / Big Blue / True and the Rainbow Kingdom Pikwik Pack, a new Guru Studio preschool series that is set to launch on Disney Junior in the U.S., follows Suki the hedgehog, Axel the raccoon, Tibor the hippo and Hazel the cat as they deliver surprise-filled packages to their town’s residents. “Preschoolers are going to fall in love with Pikwik Pack’s adorable characters and stories packed with huge laughs, inspiring adventures and big beating hearts,” says Jonathan Abraham, VP of sales and business development at Guru Studio. True and the Rainbow Kingdom, which has built a large following since it was introduced to young viewers, centers on a kind heroine who is aspirational for girls and boys alike. In the 2D comedyadventure series Big Blue, Lettie and Lemo and their crew set out on underwater explorations.

Big Blue

“Big Blue is currently in production, and we look forward to sharing a sneak peek of this action-packed and hilariously funny show with buyers.”

—Jonathan Abraham

Jetpack Distribution

A Week to Beat the World

Master Moley / Chuggington / A Week to Beat the World Starring Warwick Davis, Julie Walters, Richard E. Grant and Gemma Arterton, the Jetpack Distribution highlight Master Moley features timeless animation. The property will appeal to kids and families globally, according to Dominic Gardiner, CEO. “James [Reatchlous, the creator] wrote and read the stories to his children 20 years ago,” he says. “He has shown incredible tenacity in bringing the moles to screen.” Also in Jetpack’s catalog is the preschool series Chuggington, which follows lovable animated trains. Hosted by CBBC presenter Karim Zeroual and comedian Camille Ucan, A Week to Beat the World is a live-action series that involves six sporty young stars who travel the world to compete in difficult and unusual games. “It’s been a brilliant addition to our live-action slate and has a truly global appeal,” says Gardiner.

“At Jetpack, we remain as committed as ever to blasting the best shows across the planet.”

—Dominic Gardiner

Kidoodle.TV Safe Streaming The Kidoodle.TV Safe Streaming AVOD channel is geared to families and kids aged 12 and below. With no barrier to entry, the platform serves low-, middle- and high-income homes. “Be it that you’re watching on the TV in the living room or on a tablet or phone, we are there for free,” says Brenda Bisner, Kidoodle.TV’s chief content officer.

Further, according to Bisner, Kidoodle.TV’s “standards of adhering to the highest letter of the law give relief to families looking for a better alternative.” This fall, Kidoodle.TV is on the lookout for new content. It also recently launched its first Kidoodle.TV original. This “sets a very important stage, and we are strategically looking at what makes the most sense to be part of as we grow the slate,” says Bisner.

“We will always be seeking great completed kids’ content to complement our large offering to families globally.”

—Brenda Bisner 10/20 WORLD SCREEN 93

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Magic Light Pictures Zog and the Flying Doctors / Pip and Posy / The Gruffalo Magic Light Pictures’ brand-new 30-minute Zog and the Flying Doctors special is set to premiere this Christmas on BBC One. Based on the book by author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler, it goes on an adventure with the lovable dragon Zog and his loyal friends. A story of friendship and understanding that captures the emotional highs and lows of preschooler life is at the heart of Pip and Posy. The series “is packed with warmth, humor and sympathetic understanding of the little dramas of young children’s lives,” says Muriel Thomas, head of international distribution at Magic Light Pictures. The Gruffalo, a 30-minute special based on the popular book from Donaldson and Scheffler, is also on Magic Light’s fall slate.

Pip and Posy

“Despite the huge uncertainty that we have all faced this year during this unprecedented pandemic, Magic Light is very much open for business.”

—Muriel Thomas

Mattel Masters of the Universe / Thomas & Friends / Barbie Princess Adventure Mattel continues to focus on producing fresh TV content based on its iconic franchises. This includes new shows as well as additional seasons and specials tied to current programming. There are two new Masters of the Universe series premiering next year: Masters of the Universe: Revelation, a fan-driven anime show that will pick up the storyline from where the series from the ’80s left off, and HeMan and the Masters of the Universe, an animated adventure series that will introduce a new audience to the franchise.

“Thomas & Friends is another property that continues to offer new storytelling opportunities,” says Fred Soulie, senior VP and general manager of Mattel Television. “We are also premiering new Barbie content starting this fall,” he adds, highlighting the movie musical Barbie Princess Adventure.

“At Mattel, every property is built on a core purpose.”

Barbie Princess Adventure

—Fred Soulie

Sardine in Outer Space

Mediatoon Distribution Kid Lucky / Sardine in Outer Space / Tom & Lili Mediatoon Distribution has bolstered its slate of adventure series, with highlights that include Kid Lucky and Sardine in Outer Space. The former centers on a young slingshot champion who is destined to be the world’s greatest cowboy, while the latter portrays the adventures of a girl hero and her intrepid crew through the entire universe.

“Whether our heroes are riding rodeos in the Wild West or exploring the universe on interstellar missions, they always have to face a new, funny and unexpected experience,” says Jérôme Alby, managing director. Meanwhile, Tom & Lili features a brother and sister who are always making up new plans to joke around. The family dynamic between brothers and sisters is on full display. “It’s something that everyone can relate to,” says Alby.

“Traveling, laughing and succeeding as a team are strong and universal values that constitute the strength of our programs.”

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Mondo TV MeteoHeroes / Robot Trains 3 / Hey Fuzzy Yellow Aimed at kids 4 to 7, MeteoHeroes is a Mondo TV coproduction with Meteo Expert-Icona Meteo, a leading Italian weather-forecasting group. The series addresses issues such as climate change, ecology and respect for nature. The comedy adventure Robot Trains is targeted at 3- to 6-yearolds. Following the international success of season two, a 52x11-minute 3D CGI third season is currently in production and will launch in 2021. There’s already been a positive industry response for the Hey Fuzzy Yellow concept, a codevelopment between Mondo TV and Toon2Tango, according to Luana Perrero, head of content sales at Mondo TV. “It’s not surprising; it’s the only show in the market aimed at preschoolers that combines educational content with pure and crazy entertainment,” she says.

Hey Fuzzy Yellow

“Mondo TV is looking forward to a strong performance in the key fall/winter period and beyond.”

—Luana Perrero

NBCUniversal Global Distribution The Mighty Ones / TrollsTopia / Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls movies have been hits across the globe, and the fun continues in the series TrollsTopia. The show promotes positivity and celebrates diversity as Poppy invites delegates from every troll tribe in the forest to unite in Pop Village and live together in harmony. “Another draw for buyers is that the series is produced for Peacock, and we will have full rights utility, worldwide, from the start,” says Belinda Menendez, president and chief revenue officer for global distribution and international at NBCUniversal. Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous is set against the timeline of Universal Pictures’ 2015 blockbuster film Jurassic World. The Mighty Ones, which is full of comedy, was also produced for Peacock, which means NBCUniversal Global Distribution will have full worldwide rights from the start.

TrollsTopia

“TrollsTopia is born from the beloved DreamWorks Animation Trolls film franchise, which was a boxoffice hit around the world.”

—Belinda Menendez

Studio 100 Media SeaBelievers / FriendZSpace / 100% Wolf—Legend of the Moonstone Representing the genre of ecotainment, SeaBelievers is a new animated series that Studio 100 Media is showcasing. The first season of 52 11-minute episodes will be ready for delivery in 2021. FriendZSpace, meanwhile, centers on three best friends who may seem like regular human kids, but behind their ordinary facades, they are risk-taking deep-space friendmakers. “FriendZSpace is all about kids and kid culture—alien and human,” says Dorian Bühr, head of global distribution at Studio 100 Media. “It’s about embracing our differences and getting into exciting trouble in the process.” The company’s highlights also include 100% Wolf—Legend of the Moonstone, which features as its main character a pink poodle trying to make it in a world of werewolves. Bühr describes the show as “a unique action-adventure best-friend comedy.”

“Our mission is to bring brands to life that are contentdriven and entertain kids and families.”

—Dorian Bühr 96 WORLD SCREEN 10/20

100% Wolf—Legend of the Moonstone

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Superights Pat the Dog / Clay Time / That’s Joey!

The comedic antics of a lovable pup named Pat continue in the third season of Pat the Dog, which Superights is showcasing for international buyers. The company also has a second season of Clay Time along with the series That’s Joey!

“These three highlights strengthen our strategy of offering a diversified selection of top-quality programming available on all linear and nonlinear media platforms,” says Nathalie Pinguet, deputy managing director of sales and acquisitions.

“They cover all topics a buyer could look for to complete its programming grid: action, comedy, humor, edutainment, creativity, tenderness and friendship.” Pinguet adds, “Pat the Dog is already an international IP, the modeling-clay activity with Clay Time is universal, and the humor with That’s Joey! is a common denominator of all the children in the world.”

Clay Time

“We are committed to constantly offering new shows to our customers.”

—Nathalie Pinguet

WildBrain Green Hornet / The Woods / Sheila HippoDreamer WildBrain is working with filmmaker, screenwriter and actor Kevin Smith on the 2D animated series Green Hornet, based on the classic superhero franchise. The new version follows the adventures of a reimagined Green Hornet and Kato—now the grown son of the original Green Hornet and the daughter of the original Kato—as they partner to battle crime in Century City. WildBrain is also showcasing the live-action teen drama The Woods and the animated preschool series Sheila HippoDreamer, with characters inspired by the picture books from David Walliams. “Sheila HippoDreamer brings the joy and irreverence of Walliams to preschoolers, showing them that it’s OK if things go wrong—if you stay hippo-positive, then anything is hippo-possible,” says Deirdre Brennan, executive VP of content partnerships.

Sheila HippoDreamer

“We’re committed to serving families around the world with creatively distinct animation and live-action storytelling.”

—Deirdre Brennan

Winsing Animation Team S.T.E.A.M.! / GOGOBUS / GG Bond: Dino Diary The kid characters in Winsing Animation’s Team S.T.E.A.M.! overcome problems using a STEM curriculum of science, technology, engineering and math, with athletics and the arts thrown in for good measure. “Young people all around the globe will enjoy seeing themselves reflected in our diverse group of characters with different cultural backgrounds,” says Ben Gu, CEO of Winsing. GOGOBUS, meanwhile, is rooted in social and emotional learning. Another highlight is GG Bond: Dino Diary. “GOGOBUS and Dino Diary embrace and celebrate the fascination that preschoolers have with dinosaurs and vehicles, with themes of adventure and rescue while encouraging basic scientific thinking skills as the audience learns about modern science technology, life science, natural history and paleontology,” says Gu.

GG Bond: Dino Diary

“We’ve been in deep dialogue with major broadcasters in every region and country in the world.”

—Ben Gu 98 WORLD SCREEN 10/20

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Xilam Animation Oggy and the Cockroaches—Next Gen / Tangranimals / Where’s Chicky?

Oggy and the Cockroaches has been entertaining audiences around the world for over 20 years, and Xilam Animation is now bringing to the marketplace Oggy and the Cockroaches—Next Gen. “This exciting new reboot will bring a fresh and modern look to the iconic series, which will appeal to both kids and grown-ups alike,” says Morgann Favennec, executive VP of distribution. From Xilam Animation’s specialist CGI studio Cube Creative comes Tangranimals, an animated adventure comedy for the 3-to-6 set. It features themes such as team spirit, solidarity and living harmoniously together. Also produced

by Cube Creative, Where’s Chicky? has one-minute episodes full of comedy. It follows a little chick who turns up in a new environment with every episode.

Oggy and the Cockroaches—Next Gen

“Alongside keeping our productions up and running, we have spent the lockdown period developing and getting new projects off the ground.”

—Morgann Favennec

ZDF Enterprises Heirs of the Night / Space Nova / Zoom—The White Dolphin ZDF Enterprises has a new season of its live-action series Heirs of the Night available in its ZDFE.junior catalog. The series is set in Europe in 1889, as the heirs of the five remaining vampire clans are brought together on the ship The Elisabetha to attend a newly created vampire school. The animated series Space Nova follows the adventures of the space-exploring Nova family in the year 2162. After being the hero of the 1970s cult series created by Vladimir Tartakovsky and Marc Bonnet, the most famous cetacean in cartoon history makes his comeback in the animated series Zoom—The White Dolphin. “Comedy and humor are central to the series, expressed through a host of colorful characters,” says Peter Lang, VP of ZDFE.junior.

“We have a lot of new programs in our catalog, and we are proud to present them to the industry.”

—Peter Lang Heirs of the Night

Zodiak Kids Super Agent Jon Le Bon! / Yellow Yeti / Rocket Robbins Zodiak Kids’ Super Agent Jon Le Bon! is billed as a fun and high-octane animated comedy, in which an intrepid superagent moose has to save the day against villains and a very clumsy super-agent colleague. On the presales front, the company is highlighting Yellow Yeti, a 2D comedy series that Zodiak Kids Studios is co-producing with Gigglebug Entertainment. On the development side, Zodiak Kids has partnered with Illuminated Films to present Rocket Robbins, based on a book property. “We have a huge range of international dubbed versions available for most of the series in our catalog and are encouraging broadcasters and platforms to get in touch with us to discuss what is available in their territories,” says Cécile Cau, VP of sales and co-productions.

Rocket Robbins

“We have amazing new projects on our development slate that we are hoping to finance this fall, and we cannot wait to pitch them to everyone.”

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9 Story’s Guitar & Drum.

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Can We

Share?

Between the emergence of a raft of new AVOD platforms and linear broadcasters stepping up their requests for digital rights, the business of distributing kids’ shows has become increasingly complex.

By Mansha Daswani

T

hey say sharing is caring, but in some parts of the kids’ business, no one wants to share, creating complications for IP owners looking to fully maximize the value of their properties.

“You just don’t have those traditional windows like you used to, because people want exclusivity,” says Alix Wiseman, the senior VP of distribution and acquisitions at 9 Story Media Group. “The hardest part is extracting the value that is commensurate with what you’re making from the platforms that want to license it, given that you just don’t have as much scope in terms of windowing.”

Ed Galton, managing director and chief commercial officer at CAKE, agrees, stating, “While we will always push for nonexclusivity and a collapsing of as many windows as possible, the truth is that the traditional platforms have become more reticent about sharing than in the past. They don’t want to give any window of opportunity to work with the SVOD players and preserving AVOD rights has become a priority given that linear channels will ultimately migrate into that space.”

Morgann Favennec, the executive VP of distribution at Xilam Animation, notes that broadcasters’ needs have evolved alongside changes in viewing habits. “While it was not always easy, it used to be possible to satisfy all parties and have major

partners coming on board one after another. Over recent months, it has become increasingly difficult to reach outcomes that are fully satisfactory for all involved, as everybody is now looking for exclusivity, particularly on premium content.”

WHAT RULES? But, as Emmanuèle Pétry Sirvin, co-founder and partner at Dandelooo, points out, “if you have the right project that everybody wants, all the rules fall apart. If the show is so-so, they are going to say, I can’t take it because I don’t have this window or I can’t have exclusivity, etc. And it’s almost an excuse. We’re co-producing Mum Is Pouring Rain for Canal+— they have the first window. It’s a wonderful director and a very talented artist, so France Télévisions said, We’ll take a second window. If it’s a great show, they will bend the rules. Netflix first started to say they needed to have all first windows and all exclusivity. Now they’re saying, We’ll give it a think.”

Plus, “there’s less loyalty from the audience now for specific channels, and instead, kids or their parents will search for their favorite TV shows; they don’t mind where they are found,” observes Alison Taylor, the director of distribution and business development at Aardman. “The platforms and channels are becoming accepting of that, so it’s become increasingly 10/20 WORLD SCREEN 103

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Xilam is introducing Where’s Chicky?, a short-form series produced by Cube Creative.

important for windows, on the top brands in particular, so everyone has the ability to broadcast the most popular shows and have an exclusivity window to do so. Buyers need new IP as well as popular existing brands just as much as producers of the IP need the financing, the marketing, the brand support.

Windowing can sometimes be a neat solution for everyone, obviously while understanding the importance of the premiere, especially for the main commissioners as the financiers.

This is when windowing can be effective.”

Jérôme Alby, managing director of Mediatoon Distribution, echoes this point, observing, “When you are a distributor, you have to maximize the number of windows on which you put your content. The main evolution has been to open those windows, to open the holdbacks, to make sure at the end of the day the kids see the show—a lot—and that you make more or less the same amount of money. You have to have the windowing to make sure there is a viewership you are looking for and you can make money and get the exposure you need.”

As for crafting a windowing strategy, there are a range of factors to consider, from local regulations—such as those in France, Alby points out—to the broader needs of the property.

FREE FOR ALL “We always take into consideration all of our business departments,” reports Dorian Bühr, the head of global distribution at Studio 100 Media. “When we are talking to potential merchandising licensees, most of them want to know whether there will be free-TV coverage, and ideally, when and how often. This is still a very important parameter for the licensing business, especially for the introduction and brand development of a new IP. However, constant availability on streaming platforms ensures keeping kids connected, as for them, the most important thing is to get to see their favorite show, no matter where and when and how.

Therefore, a coexisting solution using a distinct windowing [strategy] is desirable—ideally on all available platforms.”

At Mediatoon, Alby says the factors that need to be considered—beyond the size of an offer— are visibility, your own cash flow and how a broadcaster or platform will curate your content.

“Typically, if you have the luxury of being able to choose between broadcaster A and broadcaster B who propose the same amount of [money], and your cash flow is good, what you will be looking for is who will best maximize the exposure of the show and help better roll out a possible L&M strategy. How do you make sure the show will be everlasting?”

CAKE’s Galton says the nature of a project will also help determine its preferred distribution model. “With a serialized show and a story arc that you have to follow, you are limited in who you can approach. The linear broadcasters are looking for snackable series that can be aired one episode at a time in any order, while VOD platforms look at viewing patterns differently. Secondly, there’s the level of ambition and size of the show, which is where the economics come into play. The traditional method of how we finance shows has evolved.

Some of the series we’re working on are more ambitious with higher budgets. Certain platforms can afford to commit to that additional amount of money and have those shows made.”

MASS EXPOSURE Galton also points to the importance of ancillary revenues, where a free-to-air broadcaster or platform may be a better route than an SVOD streamer. “Does it make more sense to be on the free-TV channels of the world, or is it more beneficial to have as many non-exclusive deals as you can so you can be visible on every platform?” says Galton. “In addition, one needs to consider that if you are being held to exclusivity by a platform that you cannot extract data from, it becomes very challenging when selling in your licensing program.”

Galton references CAKE’s approach on its Angry Birds shorts series, where the strategy was always to do non-exclusive deals.

“We found that the bigger the brand, the less exclusivity was an issue. In contrast, with a new show airing for the very first time, partners demand exclusivity as they want the show to be associated with their platform. There is a bit of an irony there; as long as it gets eyeballs and ratings, that’s what matters.”

Meanwhile, 9 Story’s Wiseman sees SVODs becoming “more proactive” in helping to support brands. “You generally need to have plenty of scope to be able to support a brand off the primary platform as much as possible. That does mean the YouTube world and so on. I think that’s where the conversation needs to be going. And the biggest challenge when it comes to consumer products with children’s content on the SVODs is simply how children, and we as adults, consume content now. We burn through it and we’re done with it in a period of time. It’s not being served up on a weekly basis, which would allow licensees to slowly launch programs. That’s an issue we’re all struggling with. I do think the SVODs are keen to see how they can play a part in maximizing that, which is to everyone’s benefit.”

Aardman has long managed its AVOD rights in-house, given its strong presence on YouTube, Taylor reports. “In some

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Cartoon Network is the global partner (outside of Canada) on CAKE’s Total Dramarama.

instances, we roll out content on AVOD platforms first.

We did that with Learning Time with Timmy, originally produced for YouTube [and developed with the British Council]. We’ve since been able to license the second window of this series to Netflix and public broadcasters globally, despite it already being on YouTube.”

CATCHING UP

extensive slate of catch-up rights today, which decreases the value of a show for digital exploitation. “On the other hand, the streamers have become important and lasting players in the market—so there is a slight movement towards a kind of coexistence with different window constellations, trying to find a way to crossfertilize each other and avoiding the complete exclusion of one platform.”

Taylor at Aardman reports that “some channels are more cautious than others when it comes to AVOD rights. It can be a sticking point in negotiations, whether it’s the number of episodes or even the number of clips agreed. Often a neat solution is to offer the broadcaster the same content for their AVOD channels that you produce for your own, which satisfies all partners on the show. In addition, if the channel or platform has a vested interest in the success of the show—for example, a share in the ancillary rights or a longterm partnership on the brand—then they will often be more flexible, so long as the premiere is on their channel.”

PANDEMIC PUSH

The COVID-19 pandemic may have facilitated some increased flexibility in the kids’ business as of late, as broadcasters and Catch-up rights have emerged as the most contentious battleplatforms alike clamored to serve the needs of kids stuck ground. Commercial broadcasters that may have once not worat home for hours at a time—amid a bruising impact on ried too much about digital rights want to hold onto them for as the ad market. long as possible as they build up their own VOD services.

“Until the beginning of 2020, sharing AVOD rights was not “You have to think about the massive role catch-up plays our standard approach to windowing, but with the recent and then what can be done with AVOD,” says Wiseman at decline of YouTube revenues, we have since adjusted our 9 Story. “What you want to do is not cut all your options out, strategy,” says Favennec at Xilam. “The pandemic provided us but it is difficult. I think one of the challenges is that with a with a lot of new AVOD collaborations with partners who lot of the linear platforms, they are now consolidating like were looking for new content on a non-exclusive basis. Our crazy, as we know, and they have their own SVOD platstrong [titles], including non-dialogue global hits such as Oggy forms, so they are reserving those rights for themselves. We and the Cockroaches and Zig & Sharko, were perfect for their need to see that they are going to cover the value of those needs. We quickly realized that these partnerships did not rights. That’s the challenge for us distributors. For us to be able to deliver top-notch programming with very high production values, if we’re not going to be able to extract that value out of a number of windows because one platform is going to exploit all those rights, it is really important for those platforms to understand the value of those different rights.”

Dandelooo’s Pétry Sirvin says that pubcasters in Europe are becoming particularly insistent on VOD rights, which blocks the company from doing global SVOD deals on some shows. “So now we’re much more careful. We reduce the window down to six months with them in order to possibly start the discussions with Netflix or others to make sure we have access to the dub and the rights cleared. We’ve been punished for not being careful enough with that before.”

Studio 100’s Bühr agrees that broadcasters are seeking out a far more Studio 100 is working on the rollout of the third-party property FriendZSpace.

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Dandelooo has a raft of pubcaster partners on Ernest and Celestine.

have an impact on our own digital views—we have 40 YouTube channels that are now generating billions of views annually—and are an effective way of reaching new audiences and generating extra revenue.”

9 Story’s Wiseman sees that budget concerns already have some broadcasters considering “more flexibility in terms of sharing. And we’re very open to that. When you look at the level of exclusivity that a lot of SVODs and linear require, there are cases where there are entire series available on YouTube that are also sitting on those platforms. They may not be as threatening or as problematic as some might have originally thought them to be. I think there is a lot more scope for sharing, where both platforms can live easily side by side. That’s a helpful way to move forward, especially for linear channels that are losing so much in terms of ad spend. If they can be a bit more flexible, pay a little bit less, then they will still get great value out of what they’re acquiring, even if it’s on another platform.”

NEW WORLD ORDER? Indeed, Mediatoon’s Alby sees this as a potentially ongoing trend—with or without the global health crisis. “Five years ago, it was very difficult, especially for pay television, to share some rights or open exclusivity toward AVOD. This is for obvious reasons. AVOD is free, pay TV is pay, so it wasn’t good for them to do it. Everyone tries to navigate this. We all have to find a way for the shows to be seen. The logic that many have adopted is to use AVOD as a tool to promote the broadcast. Let’s say you have a series made of 52 episodes.

You can agree to have 75 percent of the content only for pay TV, and 25 percent on AVOD as a sort of freemium content that will drive viewers towards the pay-TV offer of the series.

You can put the first 13 episodes on YouTube and say, Want to see the rest? Log onto pay-TV channel A or SVOD platform B. More and more networks are open to this, as it can be a win-win for both partners. There are so many offerings today, if you’re a channel and you want to stand out, you better optimize the cross-promotion between the different media and make sure you’re present on all at the same time.”

And with SVODs spending aggressively in the kids’ space, Favennec at Xilam says there are now opportunities for shows that premiered in a digital walled garden to have a second window on terrestrial channels. “Some traditional

broadcasters are open to this scenario and have found it to be a fruitful win-win collaboration, but others have closed that door. It’s uncertain what the distribution landscape will look like in the longer term and what models there will be when we deliver shows a couple of years from now. Will broadcasters want to air a show after Netflix then? It’s hard to say given how things are changing so dramatically and so quickly.”

FACING THE FUTURE As for the lingering impact of this year’s shutdowns and plunge in ad revenues, CAKE’s Galton says it’s too soon to tell. “There is no doubt that we have entered a global recession, but the immediate effect has not been too severe for us. Money was allocated, people had budgets and there was still a need to spend. At the very beginning of lockdown, we saw an urgent demand for content that was already versioned and immediately available and broadcasters were asking for educational content, given that kids were going to be off school for the next six months. We are more concerned about what next year will bring, as I don’t believe we’ll see a negative impact on the distribution industry for at least another six months. At this point, we’re still doing deals and while we’ve had some clients say they’re waiting or they’re on hold, we’re in a consumptionbased business and the need for content on platforms is not going to stop because of COVID-19. The advertising market is going to be negatively impacted and this will have an adverse effect on future programming budgets, but viewing patterns across all platforms have gone up. That’s only good for us and whether that will end is still to be determined.”

One thing is clear: the complexity of windowing today means that you need to have a fleshed-out plan at the outset, taking into account how much money you’ll make from your commissioning platform—and what else you’ll be able to generate one, two, five years down the line. Animation is both expensive and time-consuming, so flying by the seat of your pants on a financing model is just not an option.

“You have to understand, if I do this deal with this channel, how that is going to impact the rest of the sales moving forward,” says Galton. “You have to make a choice and you have to be aware of the path you’ve laid— or the roadblocks you’ve put in front of you by choosing those partners.”

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Mediatoon’s The Garfield Show.

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Catching a

HIT

Kristin Brzoznowski surveys a range of buyers about the types of shows they are looking for.

A

dapting to change is nothing new for those working in the kids’ programming industry.

Channels have been continuously reshaping their strategies as they face launch after launch of new streaming services, and within all this potential disruption, the industry as a whole has been strengthened and toned, made itself nimble and responsive. These attributes serve the buyers, programmers and commissioners at children’s platforms well as they grapple with the shifts in front of them (COVID-19 included) and those just around the corner.

“It’s always changing, but it’s critical to look at the different forms of emerging distribution platforms for kids’ and family content because it’s important for audience retention and acquisition,” says Adina Pitt, VP of content acquisitions and coproductions for Cartoon Network and Boomerang. Given the current challenges for live-action production due to the coronavirus pandemic, “the current state remains super competitive because, with more demand for animation in the space, it means more competition.”

Pitt’s colleague Cecilia Persson, VP of programming and content strategy for kids, acquisitions and co-productions for EMEA and international, describes the overall state of the

industry as positive, “as there is more demand and more outlets for kids’ content. We want a buoyant kids’ production industry, so the more players and partners, the better.”

And while the kids’ production and programming landscape was certainly impacted by COVID-19, it has fared relatively well. “Compared to other industries, we were all adapting quite fast to this very new and challenging situation,” says Sebastian Debertin, head of fiction, acquisitions and co-productions at KiKA. “It’s probably because all media businesses are, or have already been, in the process of adapting to the ‘new’ digital world and have learned their lesson about change management. Therefore, most of them were more or less in a good position to adapt also to the heavy challenges of today’s pandemic times.”

Marie McCann, senior director of children’s content at CBC Kids, agrees: “In Canada, we’re seeing animation production doing quite well, while kids’ live action is hampered by COVID-19 protocols and insurance issues,” she says. “Independent producers have shared with me that it is a tough time for them.”

Nevertheless, there seems to be a significant demand for high-quality content, McCann adds. “As part of our mandate as the national public broadcaster, CBC strives to play a 10/20 WORLD SCREEN 111

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watching. “The world has a lot of misplaced kids at the moment, and we at Kidoodle.TV have taken every measure to meet families where they are while ensuring that their kids will be Safe Streaming with us,” says Brenda Bisner, the platform’s chief content officer.

STREAM ON

Superights’ Pat the Dog has notched up sales across the globe, including to Cartoon Network in EMEA and AsiaPac.

meaningful role for young audiences across the country by providing content that inspires, entertains and educates. These past months during the ongoing pandemic, we’ve been able to mobilize quickly to produce a large volume of new, original and relevant material for kids across different platforms and pivot our approach depending on their needs.”

One of the big calls from the kids’ content industry, and the wider TV business at large, is for programming that more authentically represents the diverse, modern world. The importance of representation on-screen for young ones cannot be understated, and program makers and buyers are stepping up. “While looking for creators and projects that reflect the diversity of Canada has always been a priority at CBC Kids, the conversation around anti-Black racism that has been taking place here and around the world has definitely made us look at our programming, our teams and our partners to understand how we can make better content for all kids and families,” says McCann.

Ellen Solberg, head of content at the kids’ streaming app Hopster, is also keenly aware of this issue and says that, on the whole, the children’s programming industry is moving in the right direction. “There is more focus on important issues such as diversity and representation, combating stereotypes, mental health and the environment, and we’re seeing these changes reflected in new productions. Of course, there’s still a lot that can be done, and the important thing is to continue to raise awareness within the industry.”

According to Hopster’s report Is Kids TV Making Your Child Prejudiced?, terrestrial TV’s quality of content is generally better and stronger in terms of diversity, inclusivity and challenging stereotypes, largely due to regulations. “Kids’ platforms, buyers and commissioners need to work harder and regulate themselves to have stronger diverse and inclusive original content,” Solberg says.

Kidoodle.TV, meanwhile, has undertaken the mission of curating a Safe Streaming environment—even trademarking the term—where kids can find age-appropriate content, and parents can feel assured about what their little ones are

In terms of acquisitions, Kidoodle.TV is actively on the hunt for content. “We are looking at everything, all the time,” says Bisner. “We love data and want to bring fresh and relevant programming to our audiences globally. We love viral, established sensations and are looking to change the game across the board, not just with where and how families consume but what they see.”

The service is targeted to kids under 12, with a strong focus on programming that families can watch together. “Viewing data shows co-viewing through connected TVs has not only grown but is continuing as the new normal, and we are at the front lines of that,” says Bisner.

For the U.S. Cartoon Network and Boomerang channels, Pitt says that the team is currently looking for “genres that have been consistent with the past.” The aim is to target kids ages 6 to 11 for Cartoon Network and ages 4 to 8 for Boomerang. She lists as the qualities she’s looking for in a program: authenticity, immersive worlds and relatable characters and storylines. “We also want a show to have heart and humor while being inclusive, representative and relevant to our kids,” says Pitt. “For instance, race, gender, socioeconomics, physical disabilities and invisible diversity are all important qualities.”

For international, Persson is looking to target a younger, preschool demographic for Boomerang and HBO Go. She’s on the lookout for “creator-led stories that are genuine and reflective of our audience. Kids can see through things that are not authentic.”

When it comes to desired lengths and formats—once a somewhat more rigid requisite for linear buyers—the field is open, says Pitt. “We are flexible, and this is something that is constantly evolving. We try to encourage our partners to use formats that make sense for the particular IP. Each format should work with the narrative.”

Persson agrees: “We are open to all kinds of formats— whether an app, game, shorts or a long-form series. What’s important is to have great, creator-led content that connects with our audience.”

QUALITY COUNTS In the competitive German market, KiKA’s buying mandate has largely remained unchanged: “We are looking for content of high quality only,” says Debertin. “Premieres preferred.”

What’s new is that Debertin is scouting for more nonfiction programming from the international marketplace. “While we produce most of our nonfiction programming in Germany, we want even more to emphasize the need to understand the world’s diversity in these times,” he says. “Therefore, I am now also looking internationally for both fiction and nonfiction kids’ programming for our channel and our various platforms.”

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is an advantage, but only if kids are the focus of the storytelling,” he notes.

WISH LISTS

WildBrain’s Malory Towers has performed well for CBC Gem.

In particular, he is after docs and factual that cover issues relatable to kids’ lives. “Of course, it must be relevant for the different kids’ target groups and enhance their positive view on the world as well as give them orientation and deliver them strong, positive values,” Debertin adds.

When it comes to fiction, KiKA is currently looking for animated full-length feature films and specials, especially for bank holidays, Easter time and Christmas, with a length of up to 30 minutes and age-wise starting with 5-year-olds, 6-to10s and up to 10- to 13-year-olds. “Family co-watching on top

Live-action feature films for kids’ and family audiences are also on the shopping list. Depending on the story and characters, the target is for kids 5-plus, aging up to 10 to 13.

Debertin adds, “We have a strong slate for our youngest viewers, who love watching shows on KiKANiNCHEN,” KiKA’s linear preschool slot and online offer, so animated series for preschoolers are on his wish list as well.

For the bridge audience of kids 4 to 7, the channel is actively searching for “strong new additions to go along with successful series like Fireman Sam,” says Debertin. “Last but not least, [we’re looking for] series dedicated to the 6-to-9-plus demo and interesting live-action series for 10- to 13-year-olds, girls and boys.”

Canada’s CBC is targeting preschoolers with CBC TV and the CBC Gem streaming service and tweens (9 to 13) at CBC Gem. “Generally speaking, for preschool, we look at animation and live action, while for tweens, we gravitate to live-action scripted with some interest in unscripted formats,” says McCann.

“We are open to different lengths but generally look at 11-minutes or 22-minutes for preschool and 22s for tween acquisitions,” she adds. “Our digital tween originals tend to be shorter series of 11s, like Detention Adventure.”

Currently, the CBC on-air schedule is around 40 percent acquisitions for the CBC Kids preschool morning block, which

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Zoom—The White Dolphin, which is distributed by ZDF Enterprises, was prebought by KiKA.

is mirrored on CBC Gem. The tween strategy for CBC Gem is more acquisitions-focused.

“We look for content that is fun-forward and helps kids learn about themselves and the world around them without being overtly educational,” McCann says. “Above all, we look for characters and situations that are authentic, and we are open to all genres that are pro-social, non-violent and free of harmful stereotypes.”

There’s a similar content focus at Hopster, which is comprised of about 95 percent acquisitions at the moment. “We want to share stories that are diverse and inclusive and that kids can learn something from while also being fun and engaging,” Solberg says. “We have a curriculum that we use when acquiring and commissioning content that helps us ensure that we cover a wide range of topics and learning areas.”

Hopster is targeting 2- to 6-year-olds, and Solberg says she’s interested in all content that fits within that range. “We’re very flexible when it comes to lengths, formats and number of

episodes. We do see episode lengths perform differently depending on the platform they are viewed on: in our app, we see short-form content performing better; on TV platforms, longer shows get more views.”

Hopster has had success with a broad mix of programs, from well-recognized IP to more indie-type fare. The platform’s original content often appears in its topviewed series, with Saturday Club, Two Minute Tales and Hopster Jam all performing strongly.

“For next year, we’re looking forward to celebrating the Paralympics, Black History Month, International Women’s Day and International Men’s Day, and we’re also looking for content that encourages physical activity,” Solberg says. “We’re interested in engaging content that introduces kids to careers as well.”

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS Solberg is ideally looking for content that has worldwide rights for SVOD, generally non-exclusive. “We’re available in a few languages, so it’s a plus if there are other languages available or if dubbing is quite straightforward,” she adds.

The issue of rights is one that’s become ever more complicated in the streaming age, but it seems that exclusivity is now less of a make-or-break point than it was in the earlier digital days. “We are living in a non-exclusive world, and we seek non-exclusive AVOD rights globally,” says Kidoodle.TV’s Bisner. “Placing content in a safe place, with a great revenue opportunity, is a no-brainer for content owners.”

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very early in the editorial process and figuring out deals that make sense for both parties.”

“Our co-production focus is on Boomerang,” adds Persson. “We’re keen to get on board early and work collaboratively with production partners.”

TEAMING UP

Mondo TV licensed Invention Story to AVOD platform Kidoodle.TV.

With regard to Cartoon Network and Boomerang, Pitt says the issues surrounding rights are constantly evolving.

“Every time we pick something up, we are about two years out, so we try to predict what business will look like at the time that property launches. We are going to try to be as aggressive as possible with rights, but with that said, we can always revisit. We know that the business is ever-changing, and we want our deals to be reflective of those changes.”

Both Pitt and Persson are also keen on co-productions. “The co-production and prebuy models are important to us across our ecosystem,” says Pitt. “We like collaborating with creators

Co-productions are an important backbone for KiKA’s programming, according to Debertin, whether German or international. “They allow us, on the one hand, to produce shows that perfectly cover the channel’s and all our platforms’ profile as well as our various audiences’ demands,” he says. “We, therefore, do a good number of co-pros currently, in Germany and internationally.”

Hopster has worked on several co-productions so far and is open to more. “We love to work with and learn from others who are passionate about creating wholesome and quality content for preschool kids,” says Solberg. “An objective behind our productions has been to create content that we feel is missing in the kids’ content space.” For example, for Pride last year, when the platform couldn’t find enough relevant content to acquire, it created its own LGBT+ show called Rainbow Stories. For Earth Day this year, the platform wanted to support the school kids who were striking for positive environmental change, which led Hopster to commission Kids Who Save the World.

Solberg says, “We believe that when commissioning content, it’s important to hire and create with diversity and inclusivity in mind, and do what we can to contribute to more accurate representation on-screen.”

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TV KIDS: How did you approach serving viewers during lockdown? I imagine it differed across markets as shutdowns hit in countries at different times.

BORKENT: Absolutely. It all happened very quickly. Given that we work well in advance, a lot of our content was already produced. Launches went ahead as planned—we didn’t see an immediate impact on rollouts. Live action came to a sudden halt, though, and as most of it is produced out of the U.S., that did have an impact on new episode delivery. Internationally, we had one new production up and running in the U.K., the scripted series Goldie’s Oldies, and the fourth season of Hunter Street that was being filmed in Holland, so those had to go on hold for a couple of months. I am very happy to say that earlier this summer, we were able to start production again on both these two shows. So while there has been a delay, we’ve managed to catch up.

As far as animation is concerned, we had 11 shows in production when the pandemic hit and we managed to keep all of them going, without missing the delivery dates. Working remotely became the standard for our animation teams around the world during this time.

Also, as certain markets were opening earlier than others, we were working with animation companies around the world that were able to commence work on

Jules Borkent VCNI

By Mansha Daswani

L

ongtime Nickelodeon executive Jules Borkent was named executive VP for kids and family at ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI) at the start of this year.

The move keeps him as the brand lead for Nickelodeon International—including content strategy, acquisitions, original development and co-productions—while also opening up opportunities for the kids’ outlet to work with sister assets like CBS All Access (soon to be rebranded as Paramount+).

Borkent talks to TV Kids about serving audiences during lockdown, launch strategies and new IP highlights.

TV KIDS: Tell us about the impact of the Viacom-CBS merger on your remit.

BORKENT: As CBS does not have a kids’ and family unit, there has not been an immediate impact as far as Nickelodeon is concerned. Where the opportunity is for Nickelodeon now is to work across the CBS portfolio.

Looking at CBS’s extensive IP, we’ve recently announced a CG-animated series, Star Trek: Prodigy, which is being produced for Nickelodeon, and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, which will premiere on CBS All Access in the U.S. next year. We’ll continue to explore further ways to partner with CBS on our kids’ content portfolios in the future. Other than that, the merger creates more opportunities to work across the different divisions, including production, consumer products and syndication.

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our productions sooner as they came out of lockdown and were ready to work again. So generally, while it’s impacted everybody, we have been able to keep our output to our audience pretty much intact.

We also produced some new shows that were shot during lockdown. One produced in the U.S. is called Group Chat, a nighttime talk show done from our talent’s homes, hosted by Annie LeBlanc and Jayden Bartels, the stars of our new sitcom Side Hustle. We also produced Nickelodeon’s Unfiltered, which is a new game show where celebrities hide behind 3D animated characters and the panel has to guess who the mystery guest is. We also recently restarted production on The Astronauts, which is shot in Canada and produced in partnership with Imagine Entertainment, and we’ll now hopefully very quickly be able to go back in production on our L.A.-based live-action shows as well.

TV KIDS: Were there trends that emerged during lockdown viewing that you think will continue, post the pandemic?

BORKENT: As expected, family viewing increased during lockdown. For us, being focused on international, we saw the rise of global platforms during this crisis and the popularity of international content has been quite phenomenal.

We saw a lot of engagement with content from different markets as kids were just exposed to a lot more. They were,

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of course, coming in for their favorite shows—PAW Patrol, SpongeBob SquarePants, etc.—but what we noticed was a powerful trend towards borderless storytelling, an expansion of subject and style that has enabled kids to embrace diversity on-screen and behind the camera. That was a big takeaway for us, and that will absolutely continue. We’re focused on having as diverse a voice as possible, and the appetite for international content has been shown during this time.

TV KIDS: How have your launch strategies evolved as more viewing has transitioned to on-demand?

BORKENT: Everyone says this: We want to be everywhere kids are. That means we have to be incredibly focused on ensuring that new content is seen by as broad an audience as possible. While we still have a lot of viewing happening on our linear services, as everywhere, the engagement on other platforms is growing and continues to grow. We have quite a sophisticated rollout plan for all our content, whether that is through short-form on YouTube, longform on our apps or VOD services, or our linear channels. It’s becoming a bigger puzzle to solve every year and my team is constantly working on ensuring our content is made available to our audience wherever they are and however they consume the content.

We’ve just announced the launch of our SVOD service internationally and that will be an additional opportunity for us to focus on. We are continuing to work closely with our free-to-air partners around the world to ensure our content reaches as wide an audience as possible.

acquisitions, and we recently announced the acquisition of the new series of The Smurfs.

Live action has also always been and continues to be a very big focus point. And we are also interested in new formats. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we noticed the engagement with talent through some of the shows we produced during lockdown, and we’re always on the lookout for new ideas and formats to keep our audience entertained.

The Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj is the first co-production between Nickelodeon International and Nick India.

TV KIDS: How are you and your teams around the world finding and nurturing new talent?

BORKENT: We have strong teams all over the world; they are constantly out in the market looking for new talent to work with. We currently have new projects coming out of India, Israel, Singapore, South Korea. Recently we announced The Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj, our first original co-production with Nickelodeon India, which will launch internationally in 2021.

We also have a very successful shorts program through which we have discovered new voices and talent. One of the shows that came out of this program was It’s Pony, which has been incredibly successful and was recently renewed for a second series.

I am also very excited about our new original series Deer Squad, a co-production with iQiyi that we produced in China but wrote out of the U.K. and it has successfully launched in China, with the international rollout planned for later this year. Our international slate is constantly growing.

TV KIDS: What are you looking for as we head into MIPJunior and MIPCOM? BORKENT: We aim to deliver shows with great characters, great storylines and relatable content that kids can enjoy and relate to wherever they are. Diversity is key; it has always been for Nickelodeon and we continue to do that.

We’re looking at animation to fill the pipeline, whether that’s through co-production models or prebuy

It’s Pony emerged out of Nickelodeon’s shorts program and has now been renewed for a second season.

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SCHMIT: Without sounding too boastful, we made commercial children’s television socially accepted in Germany. When we first started, we had to compete with the public channel, which had a very attractive offer as it was and still is advertising-free. Our approach was to have a better program than our colleagues from the public channel and to be financed through advertising. We spent quite some time and put a lot of effort into persuading people, especially parents, that ad breaks are not necessarily the work of the devil! Now, 25 years later, private children’s television is accepted in Germany.

TV KIDS: What have been some of Super RTL’s most significant milestones?

SCHMIT: The good thing is that there was never a dull moment here. We always had different challenges to face.

But I think we can divide the history of Super RTL into two parts, with the first one being pre-Disney and the second one post-Disney; Disney’s decision to launch their own free-TV channel in 2013 created the biggest impact so far on Super RTL in our long history. But there are other milestones—like the digital transformation that might have an even bigger impact long term considering that we are only at the very beginning of that change process. A couple of years ago, we realized that the world around us was

Super RTL @ 25

Claude Schmit

By Mansha Daswani

uper RTL has been the market leader in Germany’s ultra-competitive kids’ landscape for much of its history. Backed by RTL Group and The Walt Disney Company, the channel launched as Germany’s first commercial kids’ network in 1995 and by 1998 had become the country’s leading service for children. Claude Schmit has been with Super RTL since day one and has served as its CEO for two decades now, navigating the platform through a rapidly changing media ecosystem. As Super RTL turns 25, Schmit speaks with TV Kids about the channel’s history and his ambitious plans for its future.

S

TV KIDS: It’s quite a milestone anniversary for Super RTL and for you this year! The channel is turning 25, and you’ve been at the helm of the company for 20 years?

SCHMIT: That’s correct, and it makes me the longestserving CEO in German television.

TV KIDS: What has been the defining impact of Super RTL on the German media landscape?

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changing, with the internet taking off and all the big streaming services coming into the market. It fundamentally changed the way we had to do business. I think those were the two most significant impacts on our business.

TV KIDS: How has the channel’s performance been over the last year?

SCHMIT: In terms of market share, we are still number one.

We closed off last year with a 21.6 percent market share, which puts us ahead of our colleagues from the public channel—they had 17.7 percent. We have been the market leader since 1998, with one exception: when Disney launched in 2014. So we have a pretty long experience as the number one. Our prime time closed the year with 2.3 percent; that was one of the best prime-time shares we ever generated. In addition to the market share as one relevant figure, we nowadays have reach as another important benchmark that we need to consider. We are capable of constantly maintaining our overall market share, but we do lose reach in certain daytime slots. We lost about 7 percent

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Super RTL is eOne Family Brands’ broadcast and licensing partner for Peppa Pig in Germany.

ad block reach, which is not dramatic. With our prime-time program, we even gained about 7 percent. That also translates into another very important number: ad revenues.

Despite our decreasing reach in daytime, we still had the highest daytime advertising revenues ever in the history of Super RTL. And we had the highest advertising revenues in prime time ever. This means we had the highest advertising revenues all together ever. That’s a very good starting point.

it to us for exploitation on the linear business as well as on the merchandising side.

When we say we are aggregating the reach of all the platforms, YouTube is playing an extremely important role for us.

You can sell YouTube inventory either via YouTube or by yourself. We want to sell it ourselves.

We add it to the reach we generate over all our platforms. That business grew by more than 300 percent last year. We are benefiting from our huge reach in the YouTube sphere and the sales we generate with it.

TV KIDS: Are clients turning to trusted channel brands following the concerns about kids’ safety on YouTube?

SCHMIT: That is one of the reasons. Brand safety is one of our key sales arguments. With Super RTL and our brands TOGGO and Toggolino, our customers are 100 percent brand-safe. That is something YouTube cannot offer. But it’s more than that; it’s also reach. With Super RTL and all our platforms, we reach many more kids in Germany than YouTube does.

TV KIDS: What’s driven that success?

SCHMIT: I think it’s two-fold. Looking at the market shares I just mentioned, there are obviously two main players that are relevant for advertising customers: TV KIDS: In your consumer-products business, are you Disney Channel and Super RTL. Super RTL is the marfocusing mainly on third-party brands like PAW Patrol, ket leader and naturally gets the biggest part of the or are you also looking to develop licensing programs money in the advertising business. around some of your in-house productions?

The other part is that we offer a different approach to SCHMIT: We are trying to. We have a disadvantage comour advertising customers. That is something we are pared to Disney because they are the owners of their own going to improve further in the future. We are a onehappiness, so to speak—they own the IP. For us, it’s differstop shop, meaning that we offer a combined reach ent. We are a third-party agency and this is why we started where we add up all our different platforms, and we sell developing our own properties as well. We have Woozle that package to our advertising customers. They don’t Goozle, which is a blue puppet. That is something we will have to book their campaign through YouTube directly, focus on more in the future as well. But we are happy with for example, because they can get the same or even betwhat we call a near-IP strategy. IP would mean we are the ter reach just by stopping in one shop—us. And, we have 100 percent owner of the IP. But near IP is enough for us, a very strong internal business-relationship team, because we are covering only the German market, so we which has excellent insight into what our customers are have no interest in China, South America, North America, planning on the marketing side. I hired Thorsten Braun recently as a key member of my management team as chief revenue officer to make sure that this one-stop-shop concept with our advertising customers makes even more sense in the future. Thorsten used to be CEO of the Disney television activities in Germany. He’s also responsible for our consumer-products business, which is growing dramatically as well. We had our best CP results ever in the history of the company. We have big plans. We are going to multiply our CP business at least by two over the next years. The CP business makes up about 10 percent of our TV advertising business. It’s mainly driven

by PAW Patrol, which we have as an agency and a broadcaster. It’s a Nick property, and still, they prefer licensing TOGGO Show, airing weekly on Super RTL, started as a digital-only series.

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means it offers videos, games and audio to the user. We are trying to apply the success of the Toggolino app to our TOGGO app made for the older kids. We are going to integrate all of our digital businesses into one single TOGGO experience at the end of this year. I think the TOGGO app will then outperform the market as well.

Super RTL has a volume deal with DreamWorks Animation that includes Spirit Riding Free.

wherever. Other partners can join in and do the capitalization of those markets.

TV KIDS: You’ve been acquiring more from the open market since Disney pulled its content in 2013. What have been the major lessons for your content team since then?

SCHMIT: The first thing we learned is that you can live without Disney. When we lost the Disney programming, we lost about 33 percent of our supplied volume in daytime, which is huge. And we did not know whether we would be successful in sourcing that programming somewhere else. We found out that there are programs available in a quality absolutely comparable to the Walt Disney programs. The Walt Disney programs have one major deficit, though, as they are very expensive. We found comparable formats for less money, which I find is a good tradeoff! We learned to focus more on other partners. We also learned to not only focus on the big players in the market but also on smaller players where we can find exactly what we need with the set of rights that we need for our territories. We have our preferred partners and have established a good network in the industry supplying us with content. We evaluate everything produced for kids around the world, which also allowed us to diversify our sourcing business massively.

Also, we started developing and producing more and more in-house. We launched a weekly entertainment magazine show on Saturdays called TOGGO Show, which is an interesting case because it’s a format we tested in our digital businesses, and it worked so well that we decided to move it from digital to linear. Not everyone succeeds in doing that. And finally, in June we successfully launched our kids’ and family radio channel, TOGGO Radio.

TV KIDS: Tell us about your app investments.

SCHMIT: We are thrilled with the success of our Toggolino app, which is doing tremendously well.

The app, targeting small kids starting at the age of 2, combines different content categories, which

TV KIDS: What are the plans for SVOD? SCHMIT: Kividoo is doing OK. Again, we have huge plans. This summer we joined forces with TV Now, the SVOD platform of Mediengruppe RTL. We are already supplying a lot of their kids’ content. We have a very close cooperation with our shareholder RTL Group on the SVOD side and are now part of a much larger player than we could be as a stand-alone.

TV KIDS: How do data and analytics inform your programming and strategic decisions?

SCHMIT: Again, we are in an extremely good position.

Obviously, the Googles of this world invented the dataanalysis business. Fortunately for us, we have been and still are very strong in the old-fashioned type of research. We spend a lot of money every year on that.

We are one of the leading platforms for research analysis in the children’s business in Germany. We have now, for the 20th year in a row, organized what we call Kinderwelten (Kinder World), where we present to the advertising industry the latest research on kids. We have a very solid research background. Adding to that background—which Google doesn’t have—are the insights we generate through our data analysts. That is more like an optimization process, where we optimize our products based on the results from our data analyses. The classical research is much more fundamental.

By combining both forces, we can reach a knowledge level that no one else can.

TV KIDS: What are your other priorities for the year ahead?

SCHMIT: We have restructured our organization. We are now a content hub. Meaning we try to provide the

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood from 9 Story airs as part of Super RTL’s Toggolino block.

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Angelo Rules from CAKE has run on Super RTL since 2010.

best-possible kids’ content to our audience, anytime and anywhere. That is entirely different from linear television, so we had to adapt our business. We have three main pillars. One is content generation across all the platforms, which is run by Martin Gradl. Then we have Boris Bolz running all our platforms, including our linear business as well as YouTube. And we have Thorsten capitalizing on all that reach in an optimized fashion with our advertising customers. That transformation process from a traditional linear business into a content hub for kids is going to take some time. But we are wellpositioned. I have rejuvenated my management team.

That is the most important part: making sure we have the right people to be able to reach our strategic goals.

TV KIDS: How have you been serving your young audiences during the pandemic?

SCHMIT: The COVID-19 outbreak and the following lockdown changed quite a few things for us. Luckily, we were able to adapt to the new situation very fast in mid-March. Within days we made the necessary arrangements to have all employees work from

home. We also changed our daytime programming as soon as possible into a special holiday schedule as a reaction to schools and kindergartens being closed during spring and summer. With nearly all children being at home, we fortunately experienced a 20 to 30 percent rise in daytime reach—that helped to cushion the loss in advertising revenues. We held on to our original plan to launch TOGGO Radio despite the pandemic. We also had to put up with declining advertising revenues, just like everyone else. As we were able to cut costs, we are now more or less back to our actual budget forecast. So luckily, we have not been hit hard by the coronavirus crisis.

TV KIDS: What do you enjoy most about running Super RTL? SCHMIT: Coming to the office and hearing my colleagues laugh is the most thrilling moment of the day for me. It shows we have precisely the right type of cultural framework within which we can thrive on having the best content and being the best sellers and best platform provider. The more people I hear laughing, the better I feel. Naturally, I do also look at the numbers—they are a great source of joy as well every morning! But for me, it’s more important to see that my team loves their work; they love working here, they love coming to work every day. And honestly, we are quite proud of what we have achieved over the last 25 years. When we started 25 years ago, Super RTL was a piece of paper with a business plan with three items on it: revenue minus cost is result. That was the plan when we started! As a former Disney executive once said, “Super RTL was indeed one of the most profitable mistakes we ever made.”

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TV KIDS: Tell us about the acquisition of the Lagardère kids’ channels. Why did you feel they would be a valuable addition to the M6 Group?

BONY: We have three free-to-air, general-entertainment channels. They are already quite family- and womenoriented, especially with regard to M6 and 6ter. Gulli, as a free-to-air channel, was an opportunity to add a new type of programming to cover the whole family. The combination of Gulli with M6 and 6ter allows us to address the entire family with the very positive positioning we have. To be honest, at the time Gulli was selected to be the children’s free-to-air channel in France, M6 also had a proposal to the CSA [for DTT licenses]. We’ve had a couple of discussions in the last 10, 15 years, to try to [acquire] Gulli, so this was not our first try. [The acquisition] was a great opportunity to have these channels in our portfolio.

Philippe Bony

M6 Group

By Mansha Daswani

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nnouncing M6 Group’s bid for much of Lagardère’s TV business last year, the French media company’s chairman, Nicolas de Tavernost, called it a “significant milestone” for the group, “cementing M6’s position in the audiovisual market, making it the leader among younger viewers, while bolstering its status in on-demand TV and providing it with international exposure.” The crown jewel in the acquisition was Gulli, the leading free-to-air digital channel for kids in France, which has been serving its audience with local originals and imported hits for 15 years. M6 also took control of two wellestablished pay-TV brands for kids: for the 6-to-12 set, Canal J, which is marking its 35th anniversary this year; and TiJi, which is celebrating 20 years of catering to French preschoolers. The acquisition also brought to M6 a popular catch-up service, Gulli Replay; the SVOD platform GulliMax; and an international presence with channels in French-speaking Africa. Philippe Bony, the head of thematic and youth channels at M6, talks to TV Kids about how the company is building on the success of this market-leading kids’ portfolio.

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TV KIDS: How has the integration process gone since announcing the deal last year?

BONY: It was quite simple. We closed the acquisition in September 2019. As of last December, we had moved all the teams to the M6 headquarters in Neuilly. Now all the teams are working together. It’s going well. What is interesting is that Gulli is really focused on children, so we are adding a specific block of programming and type of channel [to our free-TV offer]. Of course, we had kids’ programming on M6 in the morning, but only two hours a day, five days a week. We haven’t had any significant issues in terms of integration.

TV KIDS: This portfolio is very well established—Canal J has been in the market for 35 years, TiJi for 20 and Gulli for 15. How have they been able to maintain their leadership positions?

BONY: It’s a very competitive market. When Canal J launched 35 years ago, it was the first pay-TV children’s channel in France, maybe even in Europe. And now, there are 18 children’s channels on cable and satellite.

It’s fierce competition. What is [beneficial] is the fact that Canal J and TiJi are connected to Gulli, and, of course, to the M6 Group and all of our other pay-TV channels and digital services. That helps to try to create a [complete] offer for kids. Gulli is more a general entertainment kids’ channel, so it’s addressing all ages. With TiJi and Canal J, we have the opportunity to address more specific targets in children’s programming. The combination of all these services is doing well, and I think it helps to maintain Canal J and TiJi in the market.

TV KIDS: I know there are requirements to commission local programming for the channels. How crucial are French shows in strengthening the bond with your audiences?

BONY: It’s major for us. And it’s a real opportunity in France because we have great producers and great talents in terms of animation. For a long time, art schools have been focused on drawings and animation. We have a lot of creativity in France. We are also quite successful on the technological side, so we have been able to create a French touch in animation. We have a lot of French productions on our channels. They give a specific flavor that helps us in France and in our developments abroad.

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The COVID-19 crisis has gone through and disrupted audiovisual projects. The animation sector has suffered less from the crisis than the production of fiction. The studios have done everything possible to ensure continuity despite this exceptional situation.

At Gulli, we have maintained an ambitious program— a quality schedule. In May we launched Boy, Girl, etc., the new French series from Watch Next Media. Despite the increased competition during this period, and thanks to well-anchored values, the children remained faithful to their favorite channel. The audiences have been held and it continues! We had our best market shares for two years this summer.

We managed to maintain production to offer a rich and joyful comeback with around 15 new releases. The French studios with whom we are co-producing more than 20 series at the moment have been responsive and efficient despite the crisis. In September, we launched The Sisters [season two] on M6Kid, The Adventures of Paddington and Ricky Zoom season two on Gulli.

We still want to increase and enhance the level of production and diversify the programming we’ll have on all our channels and also on digital.

TV KIDS: The portfolio is also beloved by the international kids’ community because your channels have been great homes for some big brands over the years. What role do acquisitions continue to play on the channels?

BONY: We make a lot of acquisitions with great partners like Nickelodeon and DreamWorks. We have some great brands coming from international producers that are important for us on the channels. The new school year was also made with successful licenses like My Little Pony: Pony Life and the new seasons of The Loud House, The Amazing World of Gumball, Power Rangers and Pokémon.

TV KIDS: How are you keeping up with where and how kids are watching content today?

BONY: There have been a lot of major moves in kids’ consumption. We believe in the combination of both linear and nonlinear offers. That’s what we’re doing on our general-entertainment channels. M6 was the first channel in France to launch a catch-up service with 6play. That was 12 years ago. We’ve been developing a lot of great platforms and services. Of course, our channels will benefit from these platforms to enhance the look and feel of our services for children and families.

We think that on the linear side, there will be more and more co-viewing. That’s a trend for our linear channels.

We see more individual viewing on the digital side for kids.

On the linear channel, we also have a lot of single viewing, but there’s more and more co-viewing with the parents and families, or brothers and sisters watching the same programs at the same time. So it’s two different evolutions: first, more co-viewing, and at the same time, more individual viewing on the digital. With our various services, we can combine these two ways of viewing.

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TV KIDS: Tell us about GulliMax, your SVOD service.

BONY: The deployment of our SVOD offer has been a priority in 2020. Since this summer, we have been present with all the main distributors (SFR, Orange, Amazon,

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Canal+, Bouygues Telecom). With 3 million subscribers, GulliMax is the first French SVOD offer for children.

TV KIDS: That’s a lot of progress in a short space of time!

BONY: We had some competition arrive a few months ago with Disney+ and other services coming from abroad, so we thought it was necessary to go fast. The programming and the focus we have on the different targets is [advantageous].

We are in good shape to face the competition.

TV KIDS: What impact do you feel Netflix has had on the kids’ landscape in France?

BONY: In France, Netflix is important. It seems to be more aggressive [targeting] the youngsters than the kids. Of course, they have a big offer, but until now, we haven’t seen a significant impact on our viewing. It’s part of the competition. Disney+ launched in [April]. We see the competition moving a lot. This will also give us some opportunity [to increase our] ratings and viewing.

The landscape is changing quite quickly, so we have to adapt very quickly. We have to focus on local production because we have a lot of opportunities there. That’s why we have revamped and increased our investments in new programming. That’s the best way we can cope with this new competition coming.

TV KIDS: What international opportunities are you pursuing for these brands?

BONY: Maybe there will be some opportunities for GulliMax, in combination with our channels.

We also have a strong presence in Africa. Gulli Africa is the number one kids’ channel in French-speaking Africa. We will launch GulliMax in these territories

together with Canal+. During the summer, Gulli Africa became a member of the world coalition for education organized by UNESCO. We worked on a program promoting the return to school for young girls and supported the UNESCO campaign.

Finally, in order to strengthen our position as the first French youth animation channel in the world, we launched Gulli Brasil in early August.

TV KIDS: What are your other critical priorities for 2020?

BONY: Our main focus is on programs, programs, programs. That’s the main point. Of course, Gulli will benefit from all the technology investments that have been made by the M6 Group in digital services. Using all these assets helps to develop our digital offer. And we also have a lot of opportunities to develop our brand. Gulli is more than just a channel. It’s an entertainment channel with great shows, but it’s vital for us that Gulli is much more than that. It’s a brand that families and children can rely on. We need to be present everywhere the kids are.

There are all the developments we have made with the Gulli parks, for example. We have indoor parks all over France where kids can go to play or celebrate their birthday parties. The brand is also engaged to help children and families understand and feel confident in the world they are living in. That’s our main priority. The fact that we are local and close to our viewers is also a way to be stronger; I think all the families that are watching Gulli prefer TV channels [that are made for] French kids. It’s a reassuring brand for families. That’s important to us.

Moreover, we have been reelected by the parents as “favorite channel of families” for youth programs [according to L’étude Marques et Enseignes 2020].

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we made into a bigger brand. We are developing new ideas for kids. For example, 50/50 Heroes is in development with France Télévisions and has been acquired by Disney for Europe. We are in the process of getting huge brands to develop into series.

On the business side, we’ve kept hiring and creating new departments around our production, development and distribution areas. For instance, we started a digital department a couple of years ago. We now have over 40 YouTube channels with over a billion views. We created an interactive division. We also created a licensing-andmerchandising division.

We wanted to have great people, control our distribution and do a lot of developments that would fit our pipe. Right now, we are developing, between the U.S. team and the French team, 10 to 15 new projects.

We’ve never stopped challenging ourselves. We’re opening a big animation studio in the next couple of months in the north of France. We’re working with the best real-time animation software. They say real-time animation is the future, but for us, it’s the present.

Pierre Sissmann

Cyber Group Studios

By Mansha Daswani

ince its launch 15 years ago, Cyber Group Studios has remained focused on a few key principles: driving innovation in animation technology, partnering with the best creatives and assembling a team to grow the business across distribution, production and ancillary revenue streams. Pierre Sissmann, chairman and CEO, tells TV Kids about the outfit’s past, present and future.

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TV KIDS: How did you structure the company to enable growth?

SISSMANN: We spent a lot of time setting up the distribution, setting up production with technology and looking at developing IPs that would fit our clients’ needs and that kids would like. Creating global entertainment [from Europe] takes a special effort. We started to put in that special effort very early on. I feel that’s the main reason for our success. Over the last 15 years, we’ve had 25 to 30 percent compound growth every year.

As we hired more people, we started doing different things. We had one of the first preschool CG series in the world. And then we went into kids and co-pros. We went into 2D and we developed our own systems. This desire to improve the image, to tell stories, is in the foundation of the company. We’re always trying to be better in terms of improving the storytelling and the production. We made Zou into a big brand, and Gigantosaurus, which was a book, 140 WORLD SCREEN 10/20

TV KIDS: How have you been able to ensure that this growth was sustainable, without overextending yourselves?

SISSMANN: We’ve put money in ourselves and we’ve raised money. One of our main shareholders is L-GAM. That’s fantastic because we know if we are successful, they will back us. At the same time, we’ve always reinvested. The most challenging thing is to schedule what the priorities need to be, knowing that you need to produce to make a living.

What is the next big focus? Is it the technology? Is it to extend the distribution? Is it partnerships? We try to do a little of all of this at the same time. We allocated resources at different times to different stages of our development. For instance, we invested a lot in the video game division three years ago and now we’re in production on 17 video games, which are going to fund another development. We’ve spent three years establishing ourselves in China. In Russia, we have this great partnership with Soyuzmultfilm, the first French and Russian joint label of animated programs, Cyber Soyuz Junior, targeting the preschool audience around the world. We have made a great deal in China. Gigantosaurus is airing for the third time on CCTV. We’re setting up our own company with Chinese partners. Just before that, we set up our company in the U.S. headed by Richard Goldsmith, who is a great asset. Part of the success of Cyber Group is enriching the culture all the time with new talent and exploring new directions.

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