LONDON, UK – DHX Media's digital kids' network and studio WildBrain has launched four new channels on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku that are now available in Canada and the U.S.
The new channels include a WildBrain hub channel, as well as curated preschool and kids’ action channels featuring brands such as Teletubbies, Tiddlytubbies, Kiddyzuzaa, Sonic, In the Night Garden, Super Mario, and Inspector Gadget. The third channel will offer up Canadian teen drama Degrassi.
“WildBrain has already achieved tremendous success on YouTube and we have now extended our reach across these additional AVoD platforms to grow our audiences in the U.S. and Canada even more,” said WildBrain managing director Jon Gisby, in the news release. “Our library offers an enormous range of entertainment content for kids of every age, and we’re delighted that families with Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku will now have additional options for enjoying WildBrain’s top brands on their TVs, phones, tablets and computers.”
In other company news, WildBrain is now the YouTube manager of the iconic Smurfs brand on an exclusive worldwide basis.
Under an agreement with IMPS (International Merchandising, Promotion and Services), WildBrain will assume management of 41 existing localised Smurfs channels and implement a global strategy to grow The Smurfs’ audience on YouTube and YouTube Kids, including optimizing distribution of The Smurfs’ content catalogue, beginning with The Smurfs TV series.
The Smurfs began life in 1958 as comic book characters created by Pierre Culliford, better known under his pseudonym, Peyo, in the series “Johan and Peewit”. The little blue characters’ appearance was met with such success that they went on their own adventures in a dedicated comic book series, which is still ongoing. In 1981, The Smurf stories were adapted for television by Hanna-Barbera, a run that lasted for nine seasons and almost 300 episodes. After the first showing on NBC, a worldwide roll-out of the classic cartoon series made The Smurfs famous all over the globe.
