Genius Brands International, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNUS),
through its
Frederator Network subsidiary (a
division of WOW! Unlimited Media), today announced an exclusive
content deal with
BuzzFeed, a division of
BuzzFeed, Inc. (NASDAQ: BZFD), a premier digital media company for
the most diverse, most online, and most socially engaged generation
the world has ever seen.
The deal provides Genius Brands’ Frederator Network the
exclusive opportunity and first right to develop and produce
longform series based on original digital properties created by the
BuzzFeed Animation Lab. The first short-form content for series
development by Frederator will be The Land of Boggs, a zany buddy
comedy that currently boasts over10M followers. Other content under
consideration for long-form development includes The Good Advice
Cupcake, an aggressively optimistic pastry touting over 6M
followers; the lowbrow sister comedy Weird Helga, with over 9M
followers; and the adorable gender inclusive series, Chikn Nuggit,
with over 7M followers.
Frederator Studios will serve as the global content sales agent,
headed by Director of Development Isabel Schultz, and Genius
Brands’ consumer products’ division will develop the retail program
for the slate of IP, spearheaded by Chief Brand Officer, Kerry
Phelan, and in close partnership with BuzzFeed.
Michael Hirsh, CEO of WOW! Unlimited Media,
parent company of Frederator Network, stated: “Our partnership with
BuzzFeed offers Frederator a tremendous opportunity to expand on
the creativity of their animation lab to further develop their
original IP into long-form series for global audiences. BuzzFeed is
considered the most watched digital publisher with billions of
global content views and nearly 30 million dedicated BuzzFeed
Animation Lab fans, which gives us a huge audience and ability to
promote each series to a highly-engaged fan base!”
Zee Myers, Head of BuzzFeed Animation Lab,
commented: “The BuzzFeed Animation Lab has seen huge success and
explosive growth for our animated properties, and we are thrilled
to partner with Frederator Studios for development. They have an
unparalleled track record in the industry and are the perfect
shepherds to take our animated properties into a new format and
expand our audience.”
About the ContentThe Land of Boggs is a comedy
about two best buds wreaking havoc on their hometown of Boggville
during summer vacation. www.tiktok.com/@thelandofboggs
The Good Advice Cupcake follows an aggressively optimistic
cupcake who gives advice on surviving life and being a beautiful
b*tch with her pastry friends.
www.tiktok.com/@thegoodadvicecupcake
Weird Helga is a coming of age, character-driven series that
follows odd-couple twins Helga and Honey and the problems they face
as 'blossoming' young adults. www.tiktok.com/@weirdhelga
Chikn Nuggit is a gender inclusive comedy series about a weird,
long-eared dog named Chikn Nuggit and his similarly magical
fast-food-named pals. www.tiktok.com/@chikn.nuggit
About FrederatorFrederator is a pioneer in
streaming video and a leading independent producer of animation for
streaming services, linear television, and on-line video platforms,
owning and operating the largest global animation network on
YouTube, with channels that boast over 2000 exclusive creators and
influencers and garnering over a billion views every month. Over
the past 20 years, Frederator Studios has produced 19 series and
more than 250 short films for and with partners including Netflix,
Amazon, Google, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Sony Pictures Animation, and
Cartoon Network, including Butch Hartman’s The Fairly OddParents on
Nickelodeon, Pendleton Ward’s Adventure Time on Cartoon Network and
Natasha Allegri’s Bee and PuppyCat on Netflix. Frederator is a
Genius Brands International, Inc. (Nasdaq: GNUS) company and has
offices in Burbank, CA and New York, NY.
About BuzzFeed BuzzFeed, Inc. is home to the
best of the Internet. Across food, news, pop culture and commerce,
our brands drive conversation and inspire what audiences watch,
read, buy, and obsess over next. Born on the Internet in 2006,
BuzzFeed, Inc. is committed to making it better: providing trusted,
quality, brand-safe news and entertainment to hundreds of millions
of people; making content on the Internet more inclusive,
empathetic, and creative; and inspiring our audience to live better
lives.
About Genius Brands International Genius 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 IP portfolio of
family-friendly content features the Stan Lee brand, Stan Lee’s
Superhero Kindergarten, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, on Kartoon
Channel!; Shaq’s Garage, starring Shaquille O’Neal, coming to
Kartoon Channel!; Rainbow Rangers on Kartoon Channel! and Netflix;
Llama Llama, starring Jennifer Garner, on Netflix and more.
Recently, Genius Brands entered into an agreement to acquire
Canada’s WOW! Unlimited Media (TSX-V: WOW), which includes 2,500
channels under the Channel Frederator Network, and has also made a
strategic investment in Germany’s Your Family Entertainment AG
(FRA:RTV), one of Europe’s largest distributors and broadcasters of
high-quality programs for children and families.
Genius Brands’ Kartoon Channel! is a globally distributed
entertainment platform with 100% penetration in the U.S. television
market and international expansion with launches in key markets
around the world. The channel is available in the U.S. via a broad
range of distribution platforms, including Comcast, Cox, DISH,
Amazon Prime, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Apple iOS, Android TV, Android
Mobil, Google Play, Roku, YouTube, KartoonChannel.com, Samsung
Smart and LG TVs, the JetBlue Inflight platform and more. Genius
Brands is now rolling out the subscription-based Kartoon Channel!
Kidaverse, featuring metaversal content and exclusive titles.
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; the potential
issuance of a significant number of shares, 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.
GENIUS BRANDS MEDIA CONTACT
:pr@gnusbrands.com
GENIUS BRANDS INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT:
ir@gnusbrands.com
BUZZFEED CONTACT:pr@buzzfeed.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/368d7228-f152-41f2-8652-334ed432dc7a
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