LA-based FAST channel manager OTTera has inked a deal with Smurfs brand owners LAFIG Belgium and IMPS to launch two channels featuring the iconic blue characters on connected TVs worldwide.

Smurfs TV and Spanish-language channel Los Pitufos will debut globally in Q4 (although Smurfs TV won’t be available in North America due to licensing restrictions). They will both feature more than 500 episodes from 2D-animated Smurfs series produced in the ’60s and ’80s.

Over-the-top channels—branded streaming services offered directly to consumers through the internet—have really been taking off recently. And the kids industry has embraced this opportunity to reach viewers with a customizable platform through connected TVs and aggregators like Roku and Amazon. Companies that are already operating in the FAST channel space include WildBrain and Common Sense.

The Smurfs brand, which launched in 1958 as a comic strip, has since spawned multiple TV shows (including a CG-animated series that Nickelodeon picked up in 2020), films and consumer products programs.

OTTera recently hired a director of business development for Africa, signaling its next geographical target for expansion after successful launches in China, LatAm and North America. The channel maker also rolled out a preschool channel brand called ducktv in July.