Toon2Tango’s Ulli Stoef

Since starting his media career in the licensing and merchandising sector before moving on to found m4e (which he later sold to Studio 100 Media) and Toon2Tango, Ulli Stoef has been at the forefront of developing new ways to fund and build brands that will resonate with audiences across the globe. Now a part of LEONINE Studios, Toon2Tango, led by Stoef and Jo Daris, is developing a slate of IPs with partners across the globe, tapping into the resurgent need for co-productions amid a challenged financing ecosystem. Ahead of Cartoon Forum, Stoef tells TV Kids about the company’s approach to collaboration to get projects off the ground.

TV KIDS: Co-pros have always been part of the fabric of the kids’ media ecosystem. Is there an increased need for them because of the economic climate?
STOEF: Co-production has always been the way we do business. Companies that did not consider co-production in the past are now open to such models. Unfortunately, the current market climate means that the actual number of co-productions has not increased, often because many studios or companies are finding that financing their part of a given project is very challenging.

TV KIDS: What do you look for when considering co-pro projects to sign on to?
STOEF: First and foremost, it’s about the content. Will the story hold up across international markets? Is it unique? Does it have an outstanding design? After this, we consider the partners, their ability to guarantee their part of the financing and whether they will be able to deliver the quality we expect for our shows.

TV KIDS: What co-pro partnerships are you currently involved in, and how did they come about?
STOEF: We are producing Hey Fuzzy Yellow with partners from the U.S., Ireland and Belgium. The production has had its challenges, but these have been overcome. I am delighted to say that we are in the process of delivering 26 episodes as we speak. Another 26 episodes will be ready for delivery by the beginning of 2025. We are also producing a Christmas movie called SANTA.COM in co-production with Studio56/Broadvision from India, Curiosity Ink Media from the U.S. and M.A.R.K13 from Germany. This movie will be distributed by LEONINE Studios in Germany; Sola Media is our worldwide distributor. Again, there are challenges—finding bridge financing, for example. Luckily, we are working from a solid financial base and, with our shareholder LEONINE, have been able to assist with some of it. The movie is well underway, and we look forward to a successful launch in 2025.

We have signed a co-production deal and started production for a preschool show developed by Toon2Tango called Showtime. It will be produced with Digitoonz (India), Telegael (Ireland), Edel (Germany) and the commissioning broadcaster, KiKA. This show will be ready for delivery in the 2026-2027 timeframe.

TV KIDS: What do you look for in potential partners when structuring co-pro deals?
STOEF: Creativity, credibility, track record and financial performance.

TV KIDS: How important are tax incentives and other soft money when pulling together projects today?
STOEF: Very important; a big part of the financing comes from these sources. One major market, Germany, is about to increase, expand and modify its funding systems. This will give us more opportunities to keep some of the work split within Germany.

TV KIDS: What are some of the keys to successful co-pro partnerships? And by the same token, where can things go wrong?
STOEF: Agent 203, which was produced in co-production with Mondo TV (Italy) and Cosmos Maya (India), with Super RTL as the commissioning broadcaster, is doing very well, and the coordination between the various co-producers went smoothly. We hope to start work on a second season and announce a movie soon. The same goes for Monster Loving Maniacs, produced by JA Film (Denmark), in co-production with Mondo TV, Belvision and Ginger Pictures (Belgium). It was commissioned by Super RTL and DR. This, too, went very well; it was on time and within budget. Not only that, but communication was so good that all the partners are looking at the potential for a second season. Even Hey Fuzzy Yellow went well, despite a few hiccups at the beginning!