Genius Brands International: The Genius Way

Genius Brands International has always taken pride in being a nimble, adaptable and creative company, and the COVID-19 pandemic has shown just how valuable those assets are in the kids’ content landscape. “We were able to adjust very rapidly to the changing environment with barely skipping a beat,” says Jessica Brinder, VP of international distribution at Genius Brands International. “The team continues to work virtually, and we are in constant communication with our co-workers and clients around the world. The only meaningful adjustment we have had to make in light of COVID-19 and in-person market closures is to adapt our pitch strategies to the new virtual model, as well as some adjustments to our pitch schedule.”

The company has continued its deliveries of Rainbow Rangers to broadcast and platform partners worldwide. Additionally, Genius Brands is gearing up this year for the distribution of its new animated series Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, which is currently in production and scheduled to premiere on its digital Kartoon Channel! network in the U.S., which reaches more than 100 million households.

Additionally, in an effort to reach young children to help them understand the pandemic, Genius Brands created a series of PSAs in partnership with Jennifer Garner (Llama Llama) and Warren Buffett (Secret Millionaires Club) that were made available to partners and broadcasters around the world for free. The company also produced an inspiring special episode of Rainbow Rangersstarring Pierce Brosnan that was written to help young children better understand the pandemic and what they can do to keep their communities safe.

The last year has seen season-two premieres for two of Genius Brands’ flagship series: Llama Llama premiered globally on Netflix, and Rainbow Rangers debuted on Nick Jr. in the U.S. Rainbow Rangers has also sold internationally to a roster of media partners around the world, including CCTV and iQIYI in China, Cartoonito in Italy, Treehouse in Canada, Nine and Stan in Australia, TVNZ in New Zealand, Noggin in Latin America and Televisa in Mexico, TV2 in Hungary, Canal Panda in Portugal, Noga in Israel, Mini Mini+ in Poland, Pikaboo in Eastern Europe and Discovery in the Middle East.

Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten is in production, with the first episode to be completed in March and the series ready to launch shortly thereafter on Kartoon Channel! in the U.S. “We will work with partners in key territories outside of the U.S. on rights for the series,” says Brinder.

The company is also in development on the new series Shaq’s Garage, starring and executive produced by basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal, with an eye to premiere the series in early 2022. There’s also the first Kartoon Channel! original series coming down the pipeline, KC! Pop Quiz, which is in active development under the supervision of David Neuman, Kartoon Channel!’s chief creative officer and former president of Walt Disney Television.

“We will be identifying new properties to develop under our Stan Lee Universe banner,” Brinder adds. “We are constantly on the lookout to acquire key titles for distribution that are in line with our company ethos for global distribution and for our domestic Kartoon Channel! platform.”

She notes that the strategy for maximizing all available windows on a given property shifts depending on the IP. “For us, it isn’t a one-size-fits-all model. Our distribution strategy is really dependent on the property, which we tailor to each series and partner. We are fortunate to be in a position to self-distribute through Kartoon Channel!, given its wide footprint in the U.S. across multiple AVOD and OTT platforms, and are thrilled that we will be premiering Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten on it in the spring. Given that Kartoon Channel! allows us to now own the windowing structure in the U.S., our IP pipeline will have different distribution strategies depending on the series and market opportunities.”

As children and families are consuming more content than ever before, Brinder sees tremendous opportunity for content creators to “meet the appetite for new and engaging value-driven content, and we are doing just that: delivering ‘content with a purpose’ that tells relevant stories for today’s children continues to be our core value.” The company is also rapidly expanding its digital presence via Kartoon Channel! and Kartoon Classroom!, as well as maximizing its windowing structuring. “We are constantly strategizing the balance of global broadcasters, regional broadcasters and streamers per property—all of which offer myriad opportunities, as well as some challenges,” she adds.

For 2021, the key focus in the content distribution arena will be officially sharing Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten with partners worldwide alongside the world premiere on Kartoon Channel! “We have an A-list mega talent in Arnold Schwarzenegger starring as well as iconic director John Landis voice directing, and the production and creative teams have truly created a special series that will resonate with kids around the world,” says Brinder.