MIPTV: The Week in Kids

A comparatively quiet week for kids’ TV deal-making, MIPTV nonetheless witnessed a host of key announcements. TV Kids Weekly recaps what you might have missed.

There weren’t that many big kids’ brands on display on the Croisette last week—partly a sign that companies are waiting till MIP Junior to throw a major promotional push behind their new shows.

But there were a smattering of easily identifiable kids’ properties on display, most notably Power Rangers Samurai, with branded tuk tuks courtesy of Saban Brands transporting market attendees between the Palais and hotels along the Croisette. It was a good week for the Rangers, with MarVista Entertainment—the show’s worldwide distributor—inking a global deal with Nickelodeon. The agreement includes major European territories, including Germany, the Benelux, the U.K. and Ireland; Latin America; and Australia and New Zealand. Nickelodeon has acquired all TV rights to the 40 new Power Rangers Samurai episodes for Germany, Holland and Flemish-speaking Belgium, and pay-TV rights for all other territories. Jules Borkent, the senior VP of global acquisitions and international programming for Nickelodeon, said of the acquisition: “Nickelodeon’s global reach and prowess, together with the huge popularity and brand awareness of Power Rangers Samurai, makes for a fantastic franchise partnership on a global scale. Following the success of the U.S. debut, I’m really thrilled that soon kids around the world will have the opportunity to watch the next generation of Power Rangers Samurai on Nickelodeon.”

The other big brand that had MIPTV attendees talking was The Governator—a new multiplatform property from Stan Lee, Andy Heyward’s A Squared (A2) Entertainment and Archie Comics that features an animated Arnold Schwarzenegger. Watch our on-site interview with the former California governor here.

There were a lot of animated properties that found new interest from broadcasters last week. The Jim Henson Company sealed a deal with Sprout and Sixteen South for the 26×30-minute Pajanimals. CAKE’s Oscar’s Oasis had broad appeal in Canada, Russia and the Middle East, among other territories. New broadcasters on board for the series, geared toward 6- to 11-year-olds, include Cartoon Network Latin America, PT CIPTA TPI (Indonesia), Société Radio-Canada (Canada), 2×2 Channel (Russia), YLE (Finland), ATV (Turkey), S4C Wales (Wales), SVT (Sweden), QTV (Ukraine), MBC (the Middle East) and SFDRS (Switzerland).

The other big news for CAKE, of course, was its new alliance with Spain’s Zinkia Entertainment. Zinkia Entertainment has secured a 51-percent majority stake in U.K.-based children’s entertainment outfit. The joint-venture deal is intended to enhance brand-management and distribution opportunities for the two companies. Both Zinkia and CAKE will maintain their own management, executive teams and brand identities, with plans to share knowledge, expertise and creativity.

In other acquisitions news, m4e, the parent company of Telescreen, scored the back catalogue of the former TV-Loonland from the insolvency administrator, covering more than 1,400 episodes, plus films. The titles acquired from the bankrupt children’s entertainment firm includes series such as The Cramp Twins, Babar (2D), Letters from Felix, Rudi & Trudi, Mowgli—The New Adventures of the Jungle Book, Little Ghosts, The Beginner’s Bible, Connie the Cow, Yvon of the Yukon and more. "For us this trade is of great significance, particularly regarding the digital and online strategy of the m4e group," said Hans Ulrich Stoef, the CEO of m4e AG. "Along with our new original productions and latest acquisitions, the TV-Loonland library will give us a very balanced portfolio of rights for the national and international markets." 

In other deal news, Rainbow closed a major Russian agreement on PopPixie. CTC also acquired from Rainbow four new Winx Club TV movies, as well as the fifth season of the series.

MTV Networks International used MIPTV as a launching pad for its new animation Kikoriki—known in its native Russia as Smeshariki. MTVNI is representing the series for TV and digital media across Central and Eastern Europe, excluding Russia, as well as the Middle East, Africa and the Asia Pacific, outside of Greater China. As part of the deal, the show will air on Nickelodeon TV platforms in Russia and CIS, Central Europe and Africa starting this August.

MTVNI was also touting the success of its live-action tween hit Victorious at the market. The show is currently airing on France’s TF1 and recently rolled out on RAI via a new deal with Fly Distribuzione. It also made its debut on FOUR in New Zealand. Latin American deals have been secured with Chile’s Megavision and ATB in Bolivia.

Shaftesbury, meanwhile, arrived at MIPTV with several new agreements in place on its live-action tween TV movie Vacation with Derek. The 90-minute made-for-TV movie is the follow up to Shaftesbury’s hit series Life with Derek. The Vacation with Derek telefilm adds to its broadcast roster Disney Germany, Disney Italy, Disney Latin America and Disney Japan; Nickelodeon in New Zealand; VRT in Belgium and Noga in Israel.

Live-action tween has also been a strong seller for Content Television (formerly Fireworks International). The company announced on day one of the market a volume deal with Australia’s ABC covering more than 50 hours of kids’ fare. The deal included Even Stevens, The Assistants, Black Hole High and Young Dracula.

FremantleMedia Enterprises, a relatively new entrant in the kids’ space, scored a multi-territory deal with Disney and Disney HD on My Babysitter’s a Vampire. The 13×30-minute show, accompanied by a 90-minute TV movie, will air on Disney-owned channels in the U.S., Latin America, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Netherlands and Nordic territories.

FME also announced a pact with CBeebies In House Productions on Tree Fu Tom. The 26×22-minute multiplatform action-adventure animation is slated for a 2012 U.K. premiere.

MIPTV also bore witness to the increasing prominence of animation firms from outside of North America and Western Europe. India’s DQ Entertainment, for example, announced a new deal with France’s Method Animation. The two companies are co-producing a 3D HD version of Robin Hood. Robin Hood: Mischief in Sherwood is a 3D stereoscopic CGI series that has an estimated global production budget of 8.5 million euros. The series will focus on the early years of the iconic hero, taking the viewers on a journey into Sherwood Forest. 

Singapore, Malaysia and China were among the key content delegations on site that were home to several companies shopping their animation facilities and co-production credits. Malaysia’s Silver Ant, for example, was in town with its animated feature film Seefood, a co-production with Al Jazeera Children’s Channel that was launched to the international market at an event at the Martinez.

For all the deal-making and new launches, there were a couple of reminders of the challenges the kids’ business has faced over the last few years. As the week came to a close, 4Kids Entertainment filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy, after being hit with a lawsuit from the owners of the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, Asatsu-DK Inc and TV Tokyo Corporation. The suit claims that 4Kids breached the Yu-Gi-Oh! agreement for failing to pay the licensors approximately $4.7 million with regard to certain audit claims. At the time, 4Kids said it would take all necessary measures, including filing for bankruptcy, in order to protect its assets if it could not win the suit. The bankruptcy filing stays the suit until the court orders otherwise.