Following the June 15 launch of its new free digital Kartoon
Channel! across multiple AVOD and OTT platforms, Genius Brands
International (NASDAQ:GNUS) announced today its first iOS launch
with the debut of an all-new dedicated Kartoon
Channel! app, available free on Apple iOS.
Andy Heyward, Genius Brands Chairman and CEO,
stated, “We are thrilled that the viewing audience has
discovered Kartoon Channel! so quickly! The
multitude of parents downloading our app for their kids has
skyrocketed in the first 24 hours with the app reaching in the Top
10 for kids, and climbing, while receiving thousands of 5-star
ratings. Kartoon Channel! is already significantly ahead
of our plan."
“In a very short time, we have managed to create
a groundswell of growth for our new Kartoon Channel!,” said
Margaret Loesch, Executive Chairman of Kartoon
Channel! “There are great platforms available today for kids,
such as Netflix and Disney+; however, they are pay platforms.”
Heyward continued, “There are two attributes that
distinguish Kartoon Channel! from them. First, our
Kartoon Channel! is FREE. When we launched this
platform, we were very clear that we would be ‘like a Netflix for
kids, but FREE’. In today’s times where families are
challenged to make budgets work, having a high-quality free
on-demand content service for kids is a huge point of value.
Second, and no less important, our channel
offers Curated Content. At a time when
kids are home from school and camps are largely closed, we are
bringing children content that is value-driven and enriching, and
not just 'empty viewing calories.'”
Heyward added, “General Manager Caroline Tyre,
Margaret Loesch, and myself are all parents, and we understand the
importance of the time kids spend in front of a screen. With
Warren Buffett, they are learning lessons in business and
entrepreneurship; with young Martha Stewart’s Martha &
Friends, they are learning crafting, gardening, and cooking;
with Giselle Bündchen’s Giselle and the Green Team, they learn
lessons on protecting our planet; with Thomas Edison’s Secret
Lab, they learn science; and with our Llama Llama shorts,
there are lessons in early socialization of getting along, and
inclusivity…and so much more! Whatever the show is we offer,
we seek to avoid violence, negative stereotypes, inappropriate
language, bullying, or insensitivity to our planet. We have a
strict code that has been built and curated by Professor Don
Roberts, former Chair of Stanford School of Communications, and the
foremost authority and researcher on the impact of media on
children.”
The Kartoon Channel! and the new
complementary iOS app offer access to a wide variety of
family-friendly content, with more added daily, featuring Genius
Brands originals and acquired content, including Babar, Angry
Birds, Stan Lee’s Mighty7, Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab, Baby
Einstein, Baby Genius, Llama Llama shorts, Warren Buffett’s Secret
Millionaires Club and more. Additionally, Genius Brands
is adding more family-friendly gaming content,
including Minecraft’s Journey to the End and Fairy
Horse Quest, Octodad, PixArk, and Big B Roblox Challenge,
from Tankee. Genius Brands will also premiere on Kartoon
Channel! the upcoming comedy-adventure series, Stan Lee’s
Superhero Kindergarten, currently in pre-production and starring
Arnold Schwarzenegger, on Kartoon Channel! in Q1 2021.
Additionally, the Kartoon Channel! app features a camera
mode with filter capabilities for hours of safe entertainment for
young ones.
In addition to the iOS mobile app, Kartoon
Channel! can be accessed via Apple TV Devices, Android (mobile
devices), Android TV, Amazon Fire Stick, Roku Devices, Xumo,
Comcast, Cox, Dish, and Sling. The iOS app will be the model for
the other platforms and will be rolled out across them. For more
information on where to watch Kartoon Channel!, please
visit https://www.kartoonchannel.com/where-to-watch.
About Genius Brands
InternationalGenius Brands International, Inc. (Nasdaq:
GNUS) is a leading global kids media company developing, producing,
marketing and licensing branded children’s entertainment properties
and consumer products for media and retail distribution. The
Company’s award-winning ‘content with a purpose’ portfolio includes
the upcoming Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, starring Arnold
Schwarzenegger and in partnership with Alibaba; Rainbow Rangers for
Nick Jr.; Llama Llama, starring Jennifer Garner, for Netflix;
award-winning toddler brand Baby Genius; adventure comedy STEM
series Thomas Edison's Secret Lab; and entrepreneurship series
Warren Buffett's Secret Millionaires Club. Through licensing
agreements with leading partners, characters from Genius Brands’ IP
also appear on a wide range of consumer products for the worldwide
retail marketplace. The Company’s new Kartoon Channel! is available
in over 100 million U.S. television households via a broad range of
distribution platforms, including Comcast, Cox, DISH, Amazon Prime,
Sling TV, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and more. For additional
information, please visit www.gnusbrands.com.
Forward Looking Statements: Certain statements
in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements"
within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as
"may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect,"
"anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast,"
"project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements
regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are
forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these
forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should
not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are
based on information available to us on the date of this release.
These forward looking statements are based upon current estimates
and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties,
including without limitation, our ability to generate revenue or
achieve profitability; our ability to obtain additional financing
on acceptable terms, if at all; our ability to repay our
outstanding debt; the potential issuance of a significant number of
shares to our convertible note holders which will dilute our equity
holders; fluctuations in the results of our operations from period
to period; general economic and financial conditions; our ability
to anticipate changes in popular culture, media and movies, fashion
and technology; competitive pressure from other distributors of
content and within the retail market; our reliance on and
relationships with third-party production and animation studios;
our ability to market and advertise our products; our reliance on
third-parties to promote our products; our ability to keep pace
with technological advances; our ability to protect our
intellectual property and those other risk factors set forth in the
“Risk Factors” section of the Company’s most recent Annual Report
on Form 10-K and in the Company's subsequent filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Thus, actual
results could be materially different. The Company expressly
disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as
required by law.
MEDIA
CONTACT:pr@gnusbrands.com
INVESTOR RELATIONS
CONTACT:
ir@gnusbrands.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/21fc7caa-8237-4dd4-916a-2c775c34f73c
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