Get creative. Brace for this disruption to last a little while. Embrace a newfound willingness to rights-sharing, unique funding and distribution models and partnerships. Always have a 360-degree strategy. Known IP really helps, but don\u2019t stop coming up with great new ideas that entertain and enrich young ones. Co-viewing very much still matters, perhaps more so than ever. Those were the overarching themes that emerged from the fourth annual TV Kids Festival as we convened leading IP owners, producers and programmers to weigh in on how to navigate a business in the midst of a dramatic reset.<\/p>\n
Missed any of the sessions? Catch up on everything on-demand at\u00a0<\/strong>www.TVKidsFestival.com<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Our trademark opening session brought together four leading programmers to discuss how they are acquiring and commissioning content that will lure kids from YouTube, TikTok, Roblox or anywhere else they\u2019re spending their time.\u00a0Disney\u2019s Rick Clodfelter, Warner Bros. Discovery\u2019s Zia Sands, BBC Children\u2019s Anna Taganov and SVT\u2019s Helena Nylander<\/a>\u00a0all spoke to a trend that we would hear across our three days of keynotes and panels: rights negotiations are not what they used to be. And everyone still wants the next\u00a0Bluey<\/em>, a breakout animated comedy and some really compelling scripted live-action.<\/p>\n All the programmers referenced a newfound flexibility on the exclusivity question, partly for budgetary reasons and partly because it does help to have a ubiquitous distribution strategy when building a brand.<\/p>\n \u201cIt used to be that linear broadcasters were the key curators of video content,\u201d said\u00a0Josh Scherba in his first TV Kids Festival appearance since rising to the president and CEO position at WildBrain<\/a>. \u201cNow, kids are doing their own curation; they go from screening something on an SVOD service to YouTube to non-YouTube AVOD and then over to gaming platforms\u2014whether it be Roblox, Minecraft or Fortnite. For brand owners to really understand this and have a holistic strategy is a huge advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been an advocate of non-exclusive rights for as long as I\u2019ve been doing this,\u201d said\u00a0Ed Galton, CEO of CAKE, in his keynote<\/a>. \u201cEspecially in the kids\u2019 business, the need for content to be everywhere is really important. We\u2019re finally seeing a willingness to share more than ever before. Part of that has to do with the economics. Platforms are saying, Well, if we can pay less, but we can share windows, that\u2019s a win for us, and it\u2019s a win for you. Is it a win for us, economically speaking? Maybe a little bit; maybe not\u2014that\u2019s still yet to be determined. But if the show that we\u2019re putting on the platforms can be more successful as a result, then that\u2019s the win. We\u2019re seeing more of that happen now in the economic downturn than we had in the past. I also think people are starting to see the data, and the data supports that they don\u2019t really have a degradation of audience by having these non-exclusive rights work with particular brands.\u201d<\/p>\n Our\u00a0super panel on industry shifts with BBC Studios\u2019 Cecilia Persson, Cyber Group Studios\u2019 Rapha\u00eblle Mathieu, Paramount Global Content Distribution\u2019s Lauren Marriott and 9 Story Media Group\u2019s Alix Wiseman<\/a>\u00a0also highlighted the evolution in windowing strategies as a bright spot in the market now.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u2019re seeing less demand for exclusivity in favor of more rights non-exclusively and a preference for building franchises rather than keeping everything exclusively,\u201d Marriott said.<\/p>\n Scale at a time like this is key, Mathieu added. \u201cRight now, being a small independent is harsh. We\u2019re pretty lucky. But we need to be smart as well to make sure that we are creative enough, both business-wise and editorially. We need to invest in development to have a wide variety of content to be able to interest a wide range of potential partners.\u201d<\/p>\n Persson agreed, adding, \u201cYou need to be a partner that can bring several aspects to a property, particularly if you\u2019re trying to get an original idea away. One of the things I see as a positive in these uncertain times is the fact that the rights are being asked for on a more non-exclusive basis, which is actually very helpful for an original idea. We have a content strategy team that spends time thinking about those things because it is needed\u2014that additional push to make sure that you can get an original idea across the line.\u201d<\/p>\n Wiseman is of a similar view on partnerships, \u201cnot least because needs must, but also because it\u2019s a really interesting way of attracting different creative visions and talent outside of what we\u2019re doing on our own slate.\u201d<\/p>\n Partnerships and non-exclusivity were also key themes of our session on\u00a0funding with APC Kids\u2019 Lionel Marty, Guru Studio\u2019s Frank Falcone, Thunderbird Entertainment\u2019s Richard Goldsmith and Sixteen South\u2019s Alexandros van Blanken<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe streamers know that they want to have awareness, and that means sometimes sharing exclusivity or having non-exclusive rights with other broadcasters or other platforms, AVOD, YouTube, because they know that it can bring some awareness for the shows they will market,\u201d Marty said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been a major shift in the dialogue that we\u2019ve been having,\u201d Goldsmith added. \u201cStreamers particularly, or worldwide linear companies that traditionally wanted all rights, are now coming back and saying, Well, if you are getting some funding from a territory or two, we can share rights in those markets. We haven\u2019t had that conversation in years. There are lots of discussions now about co-funding series. We\u2019re doing deals now where we\u2019re putting up money, and we\u2019re sharing rights. The time of the windows is also being loosened up. That is one of the silver linings of the situation now.\u201d<\/p>\n That approach does require some \u201ccomplexity in dealmaking,\u201d Falcone observed. \u201cWhen you\u2019re constructing deals with many potential windows and financiers, the recipe becomes complex. And sometimes deals lose momentum in this process. So, we really are reliant on our legal and business affairs teams to pull together tight, interesting deals quickly because, as you know, time kills all deals. We want to be quick about how we pull together our shows. Windows of opportunity can be missed if we\u2019re not moving quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n Van Blanken added: \u201cDropping the need for exclusivity also has meant some of the deals are for less payment or no payment at all, which is kind of a rev-share model. This becomes increasingly difficult and a challenge when you\u2019re having a conversation and you\u2019re trying to fund a show or trying to at least back some of your investment, especially when it comes to significant territories. I agree it is a bit of a silver lining, but it\u2019s also effectively decreasing the financial burden on that licensee. So, it\u2019s a balancing act.\u201d<\/p>\n Across all of the sessions, the importance of known IP was reiterated over and over again. Just a few months since taking on oversight of Mattel Television Studios,\u00a0Michelle Mendelovitz talked about how the toy giant is expanding its slate of shows based on its powerhouse brands<\/a>. \u201cMattel has iconic brands and IP that we can utilize as we\u2019re moving into our next phase of studio television content. We\u2019re looking to leverage those brands into premium, best-in-class creators and create top-tier content for all platforms across the board.\u201d<\/p>\n DreamWorks Animation, similarly, is tapping into its beloved library. This March, Peacock launches\u00a0Megamind Rules!<\/em>, a continuation of the beloved feature film. \u201cIt\u2019s been over 13 years since we caught up with Megamind,\u201d said\u00a0executive producer Eric Fogel in his creative keynote<\/a>. \u201cIn that original film, he went from being a supervillain to a superhero. As a fan, I was really excited to catch up with him and see how he\u2019s been doing in this new role as the hero of Metro City. For a lot of people, that curiosity sparked this new chapter. We\u2019re picking up just a few days after the events of the original movie. So, thanks to the magic of animation, it\u2019s as if no time has passed at all. We just jump right back in.\u201d<\/p>\n Audrey Diehl, senior VP of series at Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios<\/a>, is also spending some of her time on shows that reinvent classic properties.<\/p>\n \u201cGiven the massive pile of content in the marketplace, especially for kids, our buyers feel like IP has an advantage,\u201d Diehl said. \u201cIt has that built-in marketing. It has that name recognition. It\u2019s hard for networks and streamers to spend a lot on marketing all the shows because so many come out every year. So, having that built-in recognition of a Superman or a Bugs Bunny is just a huge advantage for them. We want to believe that original series can break through as well, and they have certainly over time. That\u2019s how we got the IP we\u2019re using now, right? But yes, in this current climate, where buyers are a little more risk-averse, IP is very beneficial to take out.\u201d<\/p>\n Whether reintroducing a classic brand or trying to crack the market with a new one, using YouTube is paramount. Speaking for the first time at a TV Kids Festival,\u00a0Lauren Glaubach, director and global head of youth partnerships and programming, shared with delegates some insights on how best to work with the leading video platform for kids<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst, if you\u2019re not on YouTube, join us. YouTube is the best place for kids to discover new characters and IP. It\u2019s also where they go deep into their favorite characters and stories. Two, if you are already on YouTube, lean into multi-format. Across long-form, video-on-demand, shorts, live\u2014you can tell your story in the format that makes the most sense and to reach your audience no matter what they\u2019re doing. They\u2019re going to find your characters, find your story. It\u2019s great to be everywhere they want to be. The third thing I would say is to experiment and have fun.\u201d<\/p>\n We also convened a panel to hear more about the various ways in which IP owners are using the platform, delivering intel from\u00a0HARI\u2019s Sophie \u201cKido\u201d Prigent, Wind Sun Sky Entertainment\u2019s Jo Redfern, pocket.watch\u2019s Brian C. Janes and C To The B Productions\u2019 Claude Brooks<\/a>\u00a0about volumes of content, promoting discovery and the best ways to use analytics.<\/p>\n For Redfern, YouTube has \u201cmoved from what used to be perceived as just a marketing platform to now being a platform in and of itself. You can create and launch brands on that platform. It\u2019s not that magic money tree that perhaps it was once considered, but the platform is so entrenched now in the lives of digital native kids. Its importance to people like us who work in that brand space has only increased. It\u2019s their default search engine. It\u2019s the thing that they go to when they have some downtime. It\u2019s the thing that is more or less always on [their devices] when they\u2019re in their hands. So, it\u2019s become ever more important in terms of a platform for brand owners.\u201d<\/p>\n Ecosystems feed each other, Prigent said, \u201cwhether we\u2019re talking about linear, SVOD or YouTube. You have to have this exposure on YouTube because it means that kids anywhere can find you\u2014and parents and carers. It\u2019s massively important.\u201d<\/p>\n As for how to program a YouTube channel, Janes responded, \u201cIf you\u2019re going to launch a YouTube channel, you have to have a plan for uploading videos on a regular basis. It doesn\u2019t have to be daily. It could be weekly. It could be one to two times a week. Having a full season of something to launch can be nice, so if you put the marketing out there and people come and binge-watch, great. But if you don\u2019t have that 16th episode or that 16th video after those first 15, your audience is not going to stick around.\u201d<\/p>\n While being on a platform like YouTube is critical, we also heard from a range of speakers about the vital role of the public broadcasting landscape in the U.S. and abroad.<\/p>\n \u201cOur goal at PBS is to be thinking about being as accessible to as many kids as possible,\u201d said\u00a0Sara DeWitt, senior VP and general manager at PBS KIDS, in her keynote<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s more important than ever that we\u2019re here\u2014that the U.S. has an accessible, engaging media option for kids that\u2019s also noncommercial and isn\u2019t feeling the same pressures in the same way. We are trying to think about how we are having an impact on kids and making sure that we can reach as many kids as possible throughout the country. We aren\u2019t having to watch that bottom line in the same way that a lot of others in the industry are.\u201d<\/p>\n We heard a similar sentiment on our\u00a0panel on producing for pubcasters with Mediawan Kids & Family\u2019s Julien Borde, The Jim Henson Company\u2019s Halle Stanford and Dandelooo\u2019s Emmanu\u00e8le P\u00e9try-Sirvin<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cFor children whose families can\u2019t afford Disney+, Netflix, you name it, they can always rely on the public broadcasters to enrich and educate their children,\u201d Stanford said. \u201cTimes have changed, but their intention hasn\u2019t. I think it\u2019s their superpower.\u201d<\/p>\n Borde added, \u201cIn Europe, we are lucky to have strong public-service channels and groups. They are critical for us to manage to produce quality premium content. More and more, they are into their own mission of educating and entertaining. I\u2019m a big believer then that in the future, they will continue to care about children and that in a more commercial environment, they will be asked by local governments to do more.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have a very strong belief in the role and the value of public-broadcasting systems because their goal is not to make money or to make a profit; their goal is to service and give food for thought for children to grow up, to understand things, to understand themselves, to understand their emotions,\u201d P\u00e9try-Sirvin said. With intense competition, \u201cnow they have to reinvent themselves. But their role is huge.\u201d<\/p>\n We also heard about the enduring value of pubcasters in our sessions focused on delivering those enriching nutrients to young ones. Sesame Workshop\u2019s Susan Scheiner, ZDF Studios\u2019 Oliver Grundel and Bejuba! Entertainment\u2019s Tatiana Kober shared with TV Kids Festival delegates their perspectives on how best to\u00a0incorporate science, technology, the arts, engineering and math in kids\u2019 shows<\/a>. Then, Atlantyca Entertainment\u2019s Claudia Mazzucco, Acamar Films\u2019 Mikael Shields, Lion Forge Entertainment\u2019s Koyalee Chanda and MIAM! distribution\u2019s M\u00e9lanie Errea weighed in on the\u00a0best approaches to delivering social-emotional learning in content<\/a>.<\/p>\n Over and over again, our speakers kept returning to a critical mantra: kids will not stop wanting great storytelling. It\u2019s up to the industry to figure out how to get that content to them in the smartest way possible.<\/p>\n \u201cBuckle up; it\u2019s going to be a minute,\u201d said industry veteran\u00a0Tom Ascheim on where the business is at present<\/a>\u00a0in his keynote session. \u201cThis is not going to be an easy time for any of us. We always go through tumultuous times. Being great is your best strategy. Trying to find ways to make sure you\u2019re digging deep to find the creative that inspires you and will inspire the audience is always your best strategy. It is less clear how we\u2019re going to bring that forward. Therefore, the other thing to remember is that whatever got us here is probably not going to get us there. So, be great and be forward-looking. That\u2019s back to: Look at the audience, understand what they\u2019re caring about, and make sure you\u2019re anticipating, not just chasing.\u201d<\/p>\n