Mediatoon Distribution & Bayard Animation Expand Partnership

Mediatoon Distribution has signed on to distribute more titles from Bayard Animation, including the second season of Zouk.

Commissioned by CANAL+ and co-produced by Bayard Animation and Caribara, Zouk centers on a big-hearted and brave little witch and the adventures she embarks on with her friends.

The show is a 2D adaptation of the character originally created by Serge Bloch, who is also behind SamSam, and Nicolas Hubesch. Mediatoon Distribution also handles global sales for the first season of the show, co-produced with Normaal Animation.

“We are delighted to continue strengthening our ties with Bayard Animation,” said Morgann Favennec, deputy managing director of Mediatoon. “Welcoming the adorable Zouk to our catalog reinforces the complementarity between our two groups, which share the same commitment to quality.”

Mediatoon Distribution has also added the digital rights of Little Brown Bear to its catalog. The 3D adaptation of the preschool franchise has found success on social media, especially on YouTube. Mediatoon’s digital team will focus on growing the brand’s awareness internationally. The company will also continue to manage international sales for the 2D series The Adventures of Little Brown Bear.

“Our first aim is to continue growing the French YouTube channel, which has just passed the million-subscriber mark, and to roll out the brand internationally on the platform by creating new channels,” said Alexandre Neck, digital media manager of Mediatoon, on the company’s plans for Little Brown Bear. “By combining longer videos with optimized short formats, we’re convinced that the brand will be able to reach a new and very broad audience.”

This expands on the companies’ established partnership, which sees Mediatoon manage global distribution for SamSam: Cosmic Adventures and Tom and Lili.

“Bayard Animation and Mediatoon have established a trusted relationship over many years,” commented Alexandre Hénin, managing director of Bayard Animation. “We are delighted to entrust them with the distribution of our series Zouk as well as the digital exploitation of Little Brown Bear, two iconic properties of Bayard Jeunesse that we now wish to expand internationally as part of our development.”