KIDSDIG_421_ELLENBOGEN_4PG.qxp_WSN_0406_RECORD 3/30/21 10:16 AM Page 4
TV KIDS
Eric Ellenbogen
WildBrain n 2019, when Eric Ellenbogen became CEO and vice chair of DHX Media—since rebranded as WildBrain—he brought with him more than three decades of experience in running entertainment companies, including Marvel Enterprises, Classic Media (which he cofounded) and DreamWorks Animation. He saw significant potential in WildBrain’s roster of classic brands such as Teletubbies, Strawberry Shortcake and Peanuts—which Ellenbogen calls the jewel in the crown—and its AVOD network. He tells TV Kids about the necessity of remaining nimble in a continually evolving media environment while focusing on creativity and reinventing legacy properties for new audiences. By Anna Carugati
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TV KIDS: What must a media company do to remain responsive to changes in the media landscape? ELLENBOGEN: It is about being nimble. The one thing that has not changed in the media landscape is that great shows are watched by a lot of people. With an incredible focus on creating great content and recognized IP, it doesn’t matter whether it is a holographic projection on the moon or a GAF View-Master; it’s just about great content. That said, we’ve obviously leaned into AVOD. We think it is very much the future. We’ve become obsessed with data analytics. It isn’t just about being a content creator and distributor and a center of creative excellence—now you’ve got to know the numbers. Because of our Spark division, we have become much more sophisticated about how we serve up content and we understand so much more about our audience. There isn’t the disintermediation that there always has been, where we would have to depend on our telecast partners to learn anything that was going on with our rating numbers. Now we are speaking directly to the audience. TV KIDS: Tell us about WildBrain Spark. ELLENBOGEN: We arguably are the number one or number two AVOD destination for kids. Something like one in three kids visits WildBrain Spark. We are a globally COPPA-compliant network. Safety first has been critical and the curation aspect has been essential to our ethos as a company.
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