Ánima Kitchent’s Miguel Aldasoro on the Current Market

Last year saw Ánima Kitchent’s flagship brand Cuquín continue to grow, as did Tippy T-Rex. This year will prove to be even bigger for the company, with a Cuquín feature film on the slate, more expansion plans for Tippi T-Rex and the introduction of Howly & Wooly. Miguel Aldasoro, international sales and co-production director, talks to TV Kids about the current market conditions and what growth opportunities Ánima is pursuing this year.

TV KIDS: We all heard the slogan “survive till ‘25” over and over again leading up to last year. Now, 2025 has come and gone, and the kids’ industry is still very much in a period of transition and trying to find its footing. What significant development throughout 2025 impacted your business the most?
ALDASORO: The most significant development in 2025 was the clear confirmation that the market shift is structural not temporary. Commissioning-slowed buyers became more risk-averse, and legacy models tied mainly to linear TV continued to weaken. At the same time digital platforms, especially YouTube, proved to be the more stable but at the same time an unpredictable environment for kids’ content growth. However, the rapid rise of short-form vertical content has also challenged traditional monetization models, pushing the industry to explore new ways of exploiting and monetizing.

For us, 2025 reinforced the importance of owning strong IPs, staying close to audiences through data and new formats and developing projects designed from the outset to live across multiple platforms.

TV KIDS: How do you see those shifts affecting your kids’ distribution and production business throughout 2026?
ALDASORO: In 2026, we expect fewer bets, but more focused ones. Distribution will increasingly prioritize brands with proven performance and clear digital traction across platforms. From a production perspective, we are moving toward leaner, more flexible pipelines using digital platforms to test concepts and formats before scaling them globally.

We will also be exploring AI more deeply and how it can support our workflows from development and production to marketing and data analysis. The objective is to reduce risk, increase speed time to market and remain agile while never compromising creative quality or the emotional connection with our audience.

TV KIDS: What growth opportunities are you pursuing this year?
ALDASORO: Our main growth opportunities this year are centered and driven by international expansion through digital-first strategies. We are focused on strengthening our key IPs in territories where we already see strong audience traction while identifying opportunities to reach new markets, platforms and audiences and unlock additional monetization.

In parallel, we are expanding our consumer products business around established brands such as Cuquín in certain key markets while continuing to invest in short-form and vertical content to connect with families where discovery truly happens today.

TV KIDS: How are funding models changing amid the continued disruption in the marketplace (and the global economy)?
ALDASORO: Funding models are becoming increasingly hybrid and performance driven. Advances, when available, are smaller and more selective and are often linked to clear metrics and proven traction. This shift is pushing producers to build smarter financial structures that combine co-productions, public funding and tax incentives, such as those available in the Canary Islands, with digital revenues.

TV KIDS: Kids today have so many options for entertainment beyond television. How are you addressing the challenge of discovery and making sure your IPs get in front of and capture the attention of children?
ALDASORO: Discovery starts with a deep understanding of families—both parents and kids. We rely heavily on data, analytics and fast iteration to optimize content for each platform. It is essential to be where families are actually consuming content today—YouTube, apps, Shorts, etc.—creating what they enjoy and how they like to watch it in order to capture attention. Just as important is keeping production alive with a constant flow of new content that evolves with trends. At the same time, we work to consolidate our brands beyond audiovisual content, expanding into consumer products and other touchpoints that reinforce long-term engagement.

TV KIDS: What other trends do you foresee shaping the kids’ sector this year?
ALDASORO: We expect to see less preschool unless it is tied to well-established brands, more focus on bridge audiences, growth in short-form and continued fragmentation of viewing. AI will further optimize workflows, but creativity and emotional storytelling will remain the real differentiators.

TV KIDS: There is a lot of negativity out there. So, what are you most looking forward to? What is keeping you excited about working in the kids’ industry?
ALDASORO: Despite the challenges, this is a genuinely very exciting moment. The kids’ industry is being forced to rethink itself, and that creates space for innovation. What keeps us excited is seeing our characters connect with kids all over the world every day across multiple platforms. That impact is still incredibly motivating and energizing.

TV KIDS: Are there any titles you would like to share in particular?
ALDASORO: Cuquín remains our flagship brand, with strong global performance and a feature film currently in production for release in late 2026. Tippi T-Rex continues to grow internationally, especially in Asia, and Howly & Wooly represents our next generation of digital-first IP, a vertical short-form brand designed specifically for new consumption habits.