Portfolio Entertainment

The Toronto-based producer/distributor has secured new international broadcast deals for its 40 x 22-minute animated series Hero Elementary (pictured).

Discovery Kids (LatAm), TVB (Hong Kong), City Saskatchewan (Canada) and the American Forces Radio and Television Service (global) have picked up Portfolio’s co-pro with Twin Cities PBS. Aimed at four to sevens, the superhero adventure series follows a group of kids who learn to use their powers to help others. It launched on PBS KIDS in the US last year.

Genius Brands

LA-based Genius Brands International has picked up five animated Scooby-Doo movies for Kartoon Channel!

Starting today, the OTT platform will air a weekly movie as part of its “Friday Family Fun Films” programming block that kicks off today with Scooby-Doo! Frankencreepy. Upcoming flicks will include Scooby-Doo! and the Goblin King; Scooby-Doo! on Zombie Island; Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire; and Scooby-Doo! and KISS: Rock and Rolly Mystery, as well as Stan Lee’s Mighty 7 and Rainbow Rangers from the existing Genius catalogue.

Kartoon Channel! launched in June 2020 and targets kids ages two to 11. It features more than 4,000 episodes of Genius Brands shows and third-party content, and its prodco owner has more original content for the OTT in its pipeline.

Babyfirst

First Media’s US kidsnet Babyfirst is adding animated series Word Party (60 x 11 minutes) from The Jim Henson Company to its lineup starting on March 7. The show’s five seasons track a group of baby animals that sing and dance through daily routines, while teaching the audience new words.

Word Party debuted on Netflix in 2016, and The Jim Henson Company partnered with Premiere Digital Services to launch it on iTunes and Google Play in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia in 2019.

ViacomCBS Consumer Products

The division has inked a global licensing deal with the Benetton Group to produce and distribute Garfield-themed apparel for kids and adults through 2022. A first range of products is available now exclusively on the retailer’s website and in its stores worldwide.

In 2019, ViacomCBS acquired Garfield owner Paws in order to manage the grumpy cat IP’s global merchandising rights in-house and support new content including a Nickelodeon series.