By Sadhana Bharanidharan, Andrea Hernandez and Cole Watson

Google

Outfit7 has signed a deal with Google to make its My Talking Tom Friends video game playable on car screens in all parked vehicles that have Google Automotive service subscriptions. Launched in 2020, My Talking Tom Friends brings together six characters from the Talking Tom and Friends (2014) animated series, letting players dress them up and manage their day-to-day lives.

Toikido 

The Piñata Smashlings brand is on track to launch in July with a Roblox game and a full range of toys and collectibles, but its UK-based toyco owner is already making moves to expand into even more categories. Toikido has inked a new deal with British home and lifestyle products manufacturer Character World Brands for a wide range of Piñata Smashlings bedding, towels, blankets and cushions for kids that will roll out to UK retailers starting in spring 2024. Character World’s licensing portfolio already includes major franchises such as Barbie, Blippi, Hello Kitty, Minecraft and DC Comics.

Comcast 

pocket.watch’s Ryan and Friends Plus SVOD service is heading to the Xfinity platform this summer. It offers more than 3,400 episodes of popular shows, including content from the Ryan’s World, Kids Diana Show, Toys and Colors and KidCity channels that pocket.watch runs. The SVOD service is already available on Amazon Prime Video Channels, where it has generated a strong base of active monthly subscribers, according to a release.

Genius Brands

Warner Bros. Discovery’s new streamer Max has acquired the first two seasons of CG-animated series Rainbow Rangers for Latin America, and Mexico’s TV Azteca has picked up Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten. Genius Brands has also sold Rainbow Rangers season two and animated series Bravest Warriors (produced by Genius-owned Frederator Networks) to Netflix in Australia and New Zealand. And Genius-owned distributor YFE has sold five seasons of The Fairly OddParents to Super RTL’s Toggo block in Germany. 

Meanwhile, Bee and PuppyCat, Frederator’s popular Netflix toon for tweens, has attracted its first global licensing partners: Sony Music (albums), BOOM! Studios (comics), Trends (posters and stickers), Toynk (plush), Toy Factory (plush) and Youtooz (collectibles).

Republic Records 

Republic Records: Kids & Family has partnered with YouTube channel MusicClubKids! (pictured, 1.1 million subscribers) to produce a music album based on its videos. MusicClubKids! Songs From The Hit YouTube Kids Show: Season One dropped today and includes 12 songs featuring sibling channel hosts Avery and Zoey Miles singing kid-ified cover versions of pop songs. Republic launched the album as part of a strategy to partner with established brands that are parent-approved, says division VP Bree Bowles.