When there weren’t enough streamers buying its library content, French animation studio Xilam used some cartoon-character logic and decided to build one itself. Thinking outside the box is key for surviving in a tough market environment—and that’s why Xilam is walking away with this week’s Gold Star! Here’s what we said about its latest move on Friday:

GOLD STAR WINNER – Xilam Animation: Props to the French animation studio for not only admitting that selling library content isn’t as lucrative as it used to be, but for taking matters into its own hands and building a possible solution. The studio launched an ad-free subscription streaming app called Toon Box to bring its catalogue of 2,800-plus episodes direct to consumers for the first time. Will the move pay off? If it does, Xilam has plans to start acquiring third-party content for the app.

And here are our Gold Star runners-up, who also had great weeks: 

BBC: Ofcom had some good news to share for the Beeb last Friday. Its efforts to embrace YouTube are helping it reach more kids! In Ofcom’s annual report on the pubcaster, the British media watchdog broke down how the BBC might be playing a bit of catch-up to engage kids on the platform, but its Bluey digital-first commissions and revamped news content on the platform are having the right effect. Hopefully this means UK kids won’t be brainwashed by the Yanks after all.

Netflix: Do you hear that? That’s the sound of David Ellison howling in rage. While there’s fun to be had in watching the son of the world’s richest man (briefly) find out in real time that he can’t get what he wants, what’s less fun is speculating about what Ted Sarandos’s Warner Bros. victory means for the kids industry. Will the next KPop Demon Hunters be a big-screen extravaganza? Will the next Minecraft Movie be a fleeting watch-at-home novelty? Will Netflix finally figure out how to do consumer products? Time will tell.

Sphere Media: Literally pulling a rabbit out of its magic hat, the studio (which recently announced plans to merge with its Montreal neighbor Zone3) has officially secured a commitment from four Canadian broadcasters for its 2D-animated series By Bunny. And at a time of continued uncertainty in the Canadian biz, this sweater-wearing bunny who promotes reading and spouts animal facts is a homegrown greenlight worth celebrating.

Tonies: In its effort to catch ’em all, Tonies has closed a brand deal with The Pokémon Company International—and it’s the company’s biggest license since it signed with Disney in 2019. Pikachu and the other Kanto region starters are next in line to join more than 400 other characters in Toniebox’s portfolio of collectible figures next year, unlocking new stories and activities for kids to listen to before bedtime. Hopefully, these creatures will have more to say than just their own names.

Check back on Friday for our next batch of nominees. Hope to see you on the list!