Banijay Buys Animation Studio Monello Productions

Banijay has acquired the animation company Monello Productions, which is currently producing When I Was Your Age, Street Football season four and the new CGI Hello Kitty series.

Previously part of Tetra Media Studio, Monello Productions is an independent production company that was established in 2013 by former Télé Images producer Giorgio Welter. The addition of Monello, alongside Zodiak Kids and Tiger Aspect Kids and Family, bolsters the group’s existing children’s catalog, bringing it to more than 2,200 hours.

Marco Bassetti, chief executive of Banijay, said: “Monello perfectly supports our ambitions to expand our Kids activity at Banijay. Hello Kitty, Street Football and its amazing development lineup are a hugely important commercial asset for the business and with Zodiak Kids, we now have an impressive catalog of children’s content for buyers and licensees alike, which we only see growing.”

Giorgio Welter, president of Monello Productions, said: “We are thrilled to be part of an impressive and entrepreneurial group like Banijay. Synergies for distribution, licensing and new media are very important in a competitive market like animation so it makes total sense to be alongside Zodiak Kids.”