TV Kids NATPE 2016

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TVKIDS

WWW.TVKIDS.WS JANUARY 2016

NATPE EDITION

Co-Viewing Trends / Hasbro’s Stephen Davis

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CONTENTS FEATURES

Getting Personal

10 FAMILY TIME

A look at the rising demand for shows that encourage co-viewing.

Kids growing up in today’s digital age are accustomed to a personalized viewing experience, with content offerings and availability suited to their own tastes, interests and schedules.

Ricardo Seguin Guise Publisher Anna Carugati Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani Editor Kristin Brzoznowski Executive Editor Joanna Padovano Managing Editor Sara Alessi Joel Marino Associate Editors Victor L. Cuevas Production & Design Director Phyllis Q. Busell Art Director Simon Weaver Online Director Dana Mattison Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Elizabeth Walsh Sales & Marketing Manager Andrea Moreno Business Affairs Manager

Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development TV Kids © 2016 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website: www.tvkids.ws

With a shocking degree of ease, children can pick exactly which episode of their favorite program they want to watch (or re-watch), when they want to view it, and which screen to view it on. Because mobile devices provide a great amount of versatility for this viewing, tablets and smartphones are increasingly becoming the go-to screens for many youngsters.

A recent research report from Miner & Co. Studio reveals that in U.S. households in which tablets and smartphones are accessible, these devices have now taken the lead as kids’ preferred way to enjoy and explore video content. TV has become the second or even third screen for many kids. Of the 800 moms and dads surveyed, nearly half said that when their child misbehaves, they take away the tablet and make him or her “watch TV instead.” Removing the ability to digitally customize the child’s viewing experience is equated to a punishment. Additionally, when given the choice between having dessert or more time on a tablet, more kids choose the tablet.

All of these on-demand devices have, indeed, made video watching a much more personal experience— and a more solitary one. Kids are often on their tablets or smartphones in their rooms with the door closed, which makes programming that brings the whole family together around the TV set all the more important.

In this issue of TV Kids, we look at how producers and distributors are satisfying broadcasters’ increasing demand for shows that encourage co-viewing.

This issue also features an interview with Hasbro’s Stephen Davis, who speaks about the importance of engaging kids with content on all platforms. Hasbro has done this with mega brands like Transformers and My Little Pony.

The on-demand entertainment hub Toon Goggles, which we profile later in this edition, is providing an outlet to do just that.

Children today are certainly spoiled when it comes to having the power of choice. They have a plethora of high-quality programming to choose from, a myriad of devices to watch it on, and the ability to customize their viewing schedule as they wish—oh, to be a kid again!

—Kristin Brzoznowski

10 16 TG TAKES OFF

Kids’ content platform Toon Goggles (TG) has ambitious growth plans for 2016, including ramping up its slate of original IP.

INTERVIEW

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Hasbro’s Stephen Davis

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DHX Media Make It Pop / Inspector Gadget / Slugterra The animated shows Slugterra and Inspector Gadget are two of the highlights that DHX Media is promoting at NATPE this year. The first is an action-packed boys’ comedy, while the latter is a sequel to the original series from the 1980s. Slugterra is a 3D animated series that centers on the character of Eli Shane, who is determined to be the greatest slug-slinging hero of all time. There are currently 59 22-minute episodes available. The 26x22minute Inspector Gadget picks up on the original story, as the evil Dr. Claw has reactivated his global crime syndicate, MAD, and the bumbling bionic detective, Inspector Gadget, has been brought out of retirement to save the world. The company is also offering up Make It Pop, a new tween program about a group of best friends who bond over their passion for music and fashion. DHX has 40 22-minute episodes to offer buyers. “All of these shows are strong performers internationally and have a proven track record in Latin America,” says Josh Scherba, the senior VP of distribution at DHX Media. “We also have new seasons available of both Slugterra and Make It Pop to offer audiences even more of these great properties.” Further highlights of the company’s NATPE slate include the live-action character drama Backstage, the family movie Full Out and the music-based animated series Kuu Kuu Harajuku.

“Our focus is to continue to secure top-tier placement for our brands, establish relationships with new OTT and VOD platforms, and leverage our 6,000-plus halfhour Spanish and Portuguese library.”

—Josh Scherba

Make It Pop

Hasbro Studios Transformers Robots in Disguise / My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic / Blazing Team Topping Hasbro Studios’s NATPE slate are its animated series Transformers Robots in Disguise (season two), My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (season six) and the new action series Blazing Team, based on a boys’ brand from China. Blazing Team represents the company’s first co-production, which is being made in association with China’s Guangdong Alpha Animation and Culture Co. Nina Scales, the VP of international distribution for Hasbro Studios, says all three highlights currently air on major pan-regional networks in Latin America.

Transformers Robots in Disguise is targeted to boys 6 to 11, which is the same target demo as Blazing Team. Skewing toward girls, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic features Twilight Sparkle, who through humorous, offbeat experiences and adventures learns about the value of friendship.

Scales notes that Gustavo Gomez, Hasbro Studios’s sales director for Latin America, will also present Littlest Pet Shop and Rescue Bots at NATPE. Littlest Pet Shop is also a girl-skewed property. Transformers Rescue Bots, meanwhile, aims for a younger demo of boys than Robots in Disguise, with the animated series targeting 4- to 9-yearolds. “Hasbro Studios continues to create high-quality animation that tells great stories,” Scales says. “The characters resonate with kids across the globe and they love the plotlines. Also of importance, parents approve.”

“NATPE gives us the opportunity to stay at the forefront of content distribution by connecting with new entrants to the marketplace.”

—Nina Scales

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Mondo TV Treasure Island / The Drakers / Sissi, the Young Empress Among the NATPE highlights from Mondo TV is Treasure Island, an animated series that picks up where R.L. Stevenson’s classic novel leaves off. “It is an ambitious co-production with RAI and is directed by the internationally well-known director Giuseppe Laganà,” says María Bonaria Fois, the general manager of Mondo TV Spain. The company is also presenting The Drakers, an action/adventure show meant for children between the ages of 6 and 10, and Sissi, the Young Empress, a girlskewing program inspired by the real-life Austrian empress.

“We are looking for buyers who not only want to broadcast our shows, but are also interested in becoming our partners in the distribution of the toys based on the series, and all merchandising categories of our new properties,” says Bonaria Fois.

“We expect to find new partners in order to further strengthen our presence in Latin America and the U.S. Spanishspeaking market.”

—María Bonaria Fois Sissi, the Young Empress

NPO Sales Full Proof / Just Kids / Giovanni and the Waterballet As the distribution arm of NPO in the Netherlands, NPO Sales represents content from all Dutch public broadcasters, as well as a number of independent producers. Its slate includes a wealth of youth documentary shorts and series, among them Full Proof, focused on science. Just Kids tackles the issue of children’s rights, and Giovanni and the Waterballet centers on a boy who wants to compete in the girl-dominated sport of synchronized swimming. “The Netherlands has a long and strong documentary tradition,” says Kaisa Kriek, the manager of NPO Sales. “The development of the youth documentary originates from there. In the past 25 years, filmmakers, producers and commissioning editors of documentaries for adults have adopted the youth doc and have developed it to what it is today.”

“The stories and subjects of our youth docs are universal and can appeal to many children around the world.”

—Kaisa Kriek Just Kids

Toon Goggles Eddie is a Yeti / Fairy Tale Stories from Real Life Puppets / The Magic Academy This year’s NATPE sees the on-demand entertainment platform Toon Goggles (TG) presenting three new original series that are available in 4K UHD. One is an animated show called Eddie is a Yeti, and the others are the liveaction series Fairy Tale Stories from Real Life Puppets and The Magic Academy. “We’d like to build our service into a destination where more engagement can happen,” says Stephen L. Hodge, the CEO of Toon Goggles. “The easiest way to make that happen is for us to be in control of the IP, so that we can quickly make a decision to turn an IP into a show, turn it into a game, turn it into an interactive book, etc., and then licensing and merchandising plays into that.”

“To propel the company forward into its next stage of growth, TG is now focusing on more original-IP development.”

—Stephen L. Hodge Eddie is a Yeti 58 World Screen 1/16

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WDR mediagroup Gigglebug / Trude’s Flatmate / From Scratch to Pro WDR mediagroup (WDRmg), the commercial subsidiary of the West German Broadcasting Corporation (WDR), was formed to not only serve as a distributor, but also to act as a co-production or co-financing partner for innovative projects. Highlights of the WDRmg kids’ slate include the animated series Gigglebug, targeted at children 3 to 5, and Trude’s Flatmate, which combines modern animation technology with classic 1950s drawings. “With the positive effects of laughter as its central topic, Gigglebug speaks a universal language that is accessible to children all over the world,” says Stefanie Fischer, WDRmg’s head of content. “The character originated as an app, so there is a very fresh and up-to-date touch to it, and the brand lends itself to a 360-degree approach for marketing and merchandising. By contrast, Trude’s Flatmate is particularly appealing because of the nostalgic flair the animation conveys, combined with a timeless story about friendship and diversity.”

Meanwhile, From Scratch to Pro, designed for audiences ages 5 to 12, follows a young host as he tries to become a professional in a new sporting activity within only 48 hours. “Since practicing sports is popular globally, the very core of From Scratch to Pro has a universal appeal as well,” Fischer says. “Besides, the format is easy to adapt to countryspecific preferences and is easy to produce.”

“Children’s programs from German public television have a lot of potential that has not yet been exploited on a global level.”

—Stefanie Fischer

Trude’s Flatmate

ZDF Enterprises Scream Street / Mako Mermaids The story of teen mermaids living on a special island continues in a brand-new third season of Mako Mermaids, one of the lead offerings from ZDF Enterprises’s ZDFE.junior catalogue.

The action is set on Mako, a magical island that this pod of mermaids calls home. Their peaceful lives are turned upside down when a merman develops a connection with the island, posing a threat to their existence. As the mermaids struggle to take back his powers, they discover that his connection to Mako isn’t quite an accident. The series is produced by Jonathan M. Shiff Productions. The ZDFE.junior NATPE slate also features Scream Street, which is billed as a “gross-out comedy” for kids. The show is set in a wacky neighborhood filled with monsters where being a freak is totally normal. The 52x11-minute stop-motion-animation show is based on a hit book series. The action centers on Luke Watson, who is a regular teen with the werewolf gene. The Government Housing of Unusual Lifeforms (G.H.O.U.L.) transfers Luke and his parents to Scream Street, which features zombies, vampires, mummies, witches, monsters and more. ZDFE.junior has also been promoting Coconut, the Little Dragon, which is based on a book property as well. Set on Dragon Island, the show features Coconut, a dragon with flying problems; Oscar, a dinosaur who is the only vegetarian in his family; and Matilda, who has no say as a porcupine on Dragon Island anyway.

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Entertainment One Family’s Peppa Pig.

FAMILY TIME

Kristin Brzoznowski looks at how producers and distributors are serving broadcasters’ needs for shows that encourage co-viewing. ids today seem to be growing up faster than ever before: toddlers with tablets, school-age children with smartphones, tweens with Twitter accounts. They’re media- and techsavvy from a very early age and use their own digital devices to access content with ease. Parents, meanwhile, are often overworked and over-scheduled, and they too are constantly connected to their own entertainment options.

This makes finding family time all the more challenging and more important; thus, the need for shows that can bring everyone together around the TV is rapidly rising.

Indeed, “co-viewing” has become something of a buzzword in the children’s programming business. It’s hardly a new phenomenon, but it is of greater interest to content buyers and suppliers nowadays. Olivier Dumont, the managing director at Entertainment One (eOne) Family and eOne Licensing, is among the executives who note that there is “absolutely” a higher demand for kids’ content that can be co-viewed.

“There are so-called ‘hovering parents’ who are much closer to their kids now than [parents] were in the past,” Dumont says. “Therefore, co-viewing is something that is

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valued not only by kids (which has always been the case), but also by parents, who want to share these experiences with their kids a lot more. Being able to sit together and watch something that everyone will actually enjoy—or at least something that won’t turn off the adults—is important to parents these days.”

Dumont also believes that the demand for co-viewing content has contributed to the rise in reboots of classic properties. “Beyond prior recognition—which everyone likes on the property side, for marketing purposes—there’s this idea that parents will be able to sit and watch a show with their kids because it reminds them of their childhood and is age-appropriate for their children.”

Natalie Dumoulin, the VP of creative affairs at 9 Story Media Group, agrees and cites as an example Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood, inspired by the classic series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, which ran from 1968 to 2001. “The parents who watched Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood loved Mr. Rogers and know that [his world was] a safe environment,” she says. “Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood is the 2.0 of Mister Rogers. It was developed to speak to parents and

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kids alike. It reinforces the values that Fred Rogers brought forth, such as helping kids in their daily routines and helping them grow.”

Jérôme Alby, the managing director at Mediatoon Distribution, calls this uptick in remaking classics the “old is the new new” phenomenon and says it is “definitely helping the co-viewing trend continue.”

At MIPCOM, Mediatoon launched Bobby and Bill, which is based on comic books that were first published more than 50 years ago. “Parents know the characters, and programmers and buyers know the IP, so it helps the show stand out,” Alby says.

One of the most talked-about recent reboots in the kids’ TV sector undoubtedly is Danger Mouse. The original series dates back to the 1980s, making it prime nostalgic co-viewing for parents who grew up following the adventures of the eponymous secret agent.

“Comedy is definitely one of the key ingredients,” he says. “Another one is anything that relates to family. The Crumpets is a very good example of a co-viewing show. It [depicts] the entire family: lots of kids (each of whom has a different personality), dad, mom and even granny—all the generations. When you add comedy to a show that features a family, it helps build a co-viewing opportunity.”

FEELING NOSTALGIC Peppa Pig, part of the eOne Family catalogue, has been “Co-viewing was very much our focus with the new Danger a hit with parents and kids alike because of these same Mouse,” says Tessa Moore, the senior VP of global brand attributes—comedy and the portrayal of family. “Parents management at FremantleMedia Kids & Family recognize themselves directly in Peppa’s parents or the Entertainment (FMKFE). “There is a lot of nostalgia for the other adults portrayed in the show,” says Dumont. show, and parents are very keen to introduce their kids to “Because it’s done in a humorous manner, [parents] love to shows that they enjoyed when they were children. If parents compare their families to the Peppa Pig family. We see a have watched specific programs themselves, they’re more lot of that on social media, fathers and mothers identifying likely to watch them in a new iteration with their kids.” themselves or their personality traits as Daddy Pig and Another co-viewing draw for Danger Mouse, according to Mummy Pig in the show.”

Moore, is that it has two levels of humor. “Kids understand In regard to Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom, another cothe comedy in the immediate dialogue, and parents underviewing success for eOne Family, Dumont says that it’s the stand the positional level of humor that goes above and humor that brings everyone together. beyond the kids,” she says. “Kids really love to watch the Both Peppa and Ben and Holly are preschool shows, a action and slightly slapstick comedy. Parents like to watch segment that has typically been tough to attract parents to, their kids’ reactions and compare them to their own. Then because the subjects and humor are somewhat limited to they have something to talk about later as well.” being age-appropriate in scope. The 6-to-11 demographic Mediatoon’s Alby echoes the idea that two different levels is often cited as the sweet spot for co-viewing shows, of humor or two different levels of plot are needed to prosince making content for the tweens and teens segment vide both parents and kids something to relate to. includes kids who are clamoring for their independence and mom and dad have become oh-so uncool.

“Parents often have a hard time talking to their tween child; they get monosyllabic answers from them,” says Dumoulin of 9 Story, which is working on a new live-action tween series that aims for coviewing. “The show that we’re developing features [family-centric] story lines and taps into what we know works in early-childhood TV, in that it opens up discussion and communication between parents and kids. In a less 9 Story’s Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood builds on the legacy of the long-running hit Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

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Bobby and Bill, part of the Mediatoon catalogue, has built-in brand recognition, as it’s based on a 50-plus-year-old publishing property.

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FMKFE’s new Danger Mouse is an update of the original British series from the ’80s.

uncomfortable fashion they can talk about what’s going on in their lives [by watching] television together. [The show] won’t appear as educational, but we’re hoping what will come out of it is an open dialogue, because that’s what coviewing should create.”

Educational elements are another entry point to securing co-viewing, as is the case with The Inspectors, which MarVista Entertainment launched at MIPCOM. “It is a perfect co-viewing show,” says Vanessa Shapiro, the company’s executive VP of distribution. “It carries an E/I [educational and informational] logo in the U.S., so it clearly has educational value. It’s like a family-friendly version of CSI.”

ALL IN THE FAMILY The MarVista catalogue is also home to a range of familytargeted TV movies. In addition to holiday-themed titles such as My Dad is Scrooge, 12 Dog Days Till Christmas and Northpole, MarVista has a slate of Disney telefilms. The latest is Mark & Russell’s Wild Ride, which is the second movie MarVista has produced under its multipicture development deal with Disney XD. Shapiro says that what these family-friendly offerings have in common is the ability to spark a dialogue between parents and kids. “They all show you the difference between right and wrong,” she notes. “They usually have a resolution and a happy ending, and share themes of problem solving or learning to do the right thing. The Inspectors also has themes such as teamwork and perseverance.”

“When parents and children watch media together, they share their ideas and feelings,” says 9 Story’s Dumoulin. “It presents an opportunity for learning first. That’s a key ingredient for early-childhood co-viewing.”

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Because of this ability to generate parent-child conversations, a lot of co-viewed programming is grounded in real-life situations that resonate with kids. “Parents use co-viewing content to relate to their children’s everyday lives,” Dumoulin says. “A good co-viewing show would be more about routines and things that kids actually do, as opposed to, say, being in outer space! It’s the shows that are kid-relatable on an everyday level that parents are attracted to.”

Having content that parents approve of (and even enjoy!) is a benefit for broadcasters, since parents “are the gatekeepers after all,” says eOne Family’s Dumont. “Getting the parents’ endorsement is crucial. We see this with all our brands; if the parents don’t embrace the brand, it’s harder to get their buy-in.”

“Broadcasters want viewer loyalty and viewer trust,” says FMKFE’s Moore. “It’s about creating a shared family experience. If you can offer that as a broadcaster, it gives you a definite benefit.”

Another boost for broadcasters, Moore says, is that coviewing can drive ratings. “You’re creating an appointment to view, encouraging viewers to tune in at a particular time. This can drive additional advertising revenues. Family viewing is the holy grail of prime time.”

DOUBLE DUTY The ad potential of co-viewed programming is certainly part of the allure, agrees Mediatoon’s Alby. “If you have two people in front of the TV screen, the advertising revenue you get from it is obviously bigger,” he says. “You can address both kids and parents, with commercials for toys as well as travel, household products, shampoo, etc.”

Alby also notes that channels are becoming more and more specialized and segmented. He says that co-viewing potential

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is highest on broad-reach broadcast networks versus niche kids’ channels. “There are still free-to-air channels that air animation right before or after the evening news,” Alby notes. “The fact that it’s on a free-to-air, generalist channel helps a lot.”

He adds that access prime and prime time are key slots for family co-viewing. “Our show Pirate Family was aired in many countries on free-to-air television very often at 7 p.m. or 8:45 p.m. The Darwinners, which is a mix of The Simpsons and The Flintstones, was generally aired at 8:35 p.m. on free-to-air.”

PRIME TIMES Broadcasters are mindful about scheduling shows with the greatest likelihood for co-viewing at a time when both parents and children can be in front of the screen. “Internationally and in the U.S., our movies tend to air on the weekends, because that’s when the family is together at home,” says MarVista’s Shapiro. “Our Christmas movies play very well during the holidays and Christmas break, of course. I see a lot of our international clients looking for shows for Saturday morning blocks or Sunday afternoons.”

Shapiro notes that due to the increasing number of digital outlets, MarVista has a lot of new emerging clients that are SVOD platforms geared specifically toward kids. Since the offerings are available on demand, the appetite for co-viewed shows is now yearlong.

“Because of the rise of new platforms on the digital front, there has been a rise in demand from our clients for familyfriendly content,” Shapiro says. “A lot of the new platforms have space dedicated to families and kids, and because of the ondemand factor, you can propose way more content to these customers than you could have with traditional linear channels.” This has been driving MarVista to increase both the production and acquisition of family content.

9 Story’s Dumoulin points out that “slots” has become a somewhat antiquated term in today’s increasingly digital kids’ TV business, where so much is available on demand. “As a developer of content, what the SVODs are bringing to us is exciting. We don’t have to be as concerned with slots [or specific channels]. A lot of the barriers are being broken down.

Historically, all of the networks have represented very key target age groups. I love the accessibility nowadays and the fact that there are fewer rules! I can develop something for both an adult and a child, and I do think that [SVODs] are pioneering that.”

Overall, Dumoulin is enthused by the increase in the development of shows that parents and kids can enjoy together and discuss later. “There’s a need from parents who want to spend time with their kids and want to have that family moment together since we are all so separate, and that is driving the developers of kids’ TV. This has always been the case for films, when great family movies come out in theaters, but now I am seeing it trickling down more and more into TV series.”

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The family-friendly movie Mark & Russell’s Wild Ride came out of MarVista’s development deal with Disney XD.

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TV KIDS: What are some of the greatest opportunities in today’s kids’ marketplace?

DAVIS: I don’t think there’s ever been a better time to be in the kids’ market. Even compared to 2009, the number of platforms available for exposing your content has never been larger. The democratization of content, as kids are actually making their own content, has given our core consumer base an appetite to seek out more content opportunities. Hasbro is a branded play company; we bring play to life. Our core consumers are kids and families, and [there has] never been a better time to take our brands and create great immersive entertainment experiences that are spot-on where the consumer is today.

TV KIDS: Children have so many entertainment options. What are the challenges in capturing their attention nowadays?

DAVIS: One challenge you face is that kids are their own programmers now. They’re not waiting to be told what to watch.

They can find content on so many different platforms, and they want it when they want it—they don’t want to wait for it.

We’ve looked at that challenge as an opportunity. Again, it goes back to the fundamental [impetus] for forming Hasbro Studios and Allspark Pictures: ensuring that anywhere kids and families are engaging with content, they will see our content. Finn

STEPHEN DAVIS HASBRO

By Anna Carugati

Since its founding in 1923, Hasbro has owned some of the most famous brands in family entertainment. Starting with Mr. Potato Head and G.I. Joe, then Monopoly, Play-Doh, My Little Pony, Transformers and many more, Hasbro has been engaging and entertaining children with all sorts of toys, games, dolls and action figures. Hasbro Studios, headed by Stephen Davis as president, is taking these beloved brands and reimagining them for today’s children. Davis, who is also the chief content officer and executive VP of Hasbro, talks about the importance of remaining relevant to media-savvy youngsters and of producing content that can be enjoyed on multiple platforms.

TV KIDS: Hasbro Studios was set up in 2009. What was its remit?

DAVIS: Hasbro has so many great stories to tell. First of all, Hasbro has the privilege of owning over 1,500 brands. We really wanted to have a platform to be able to tell those stories, and frankly, to be much more in control of our destiny as a production and distribution company. So in 2009 we started Hasbro Studios. Around the same time, we also invested in what was then Discovery Kids in the U.S., which was then rebranded The Hub, which was rebranded again to Discovery Family. We also started to really expand our relationships with our digital partners. Then about two years ago, we announced Allspark Pictures, our own film label. Again, it gives us the opportunity to really control our destiny in film, as we have in television. So we’re now producing and financing our own films. Controlling marketing and calendarization is such an important part of what we do across all platforms, so our ability to greenlight television through Hasbro Studios and greenlight our films through Allspark completes the picture for us.

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Arnesen [senior VP of international distribution and development], Nina Scales [VP of international distribution] and the sales team spend an extraordinary amount of time not only in the brick-and-mortar sales of our content, but in really understanding what the next step is for distribution. Where are kids?

How can we ensure that we get that content in the hands of kids in the right way?

Short-form content is also changing the landscape considerably. It’s easy to say you’re producing content that lives across all these platforms, but it really isn’t all that easy. Kids’ attention spans are short, so you have to ensure that the stories you’re telling engage them quickly, because kids multimedia-task. A couple of years ago our research department found this great statistic that said kids are actually bending time and multimedia-tasking. They’re consuming 11 hours of media in about 7 hours. That’s because they are on multiple platforms at any given time. You want to be sure that you’re engaging them with content on whatever platform they happen to be focused on during that seven-hour period.

TV KIDS: What do children expect nowadays, and how does Hasbro satisfy their expectations?

DAVIS: Kids of the digital generation want to be more immersed in their connection with characters and content. [There is] the trend of toys-to-life on the retail side of our business. It’s marrying the physical and the digital, so that a boy or a girl can have a physical doll or an action figure, and that action figure can actually live in a digitalcontent-driven world. [Children] feel as though they really are connecting with the play pattern, they can determine the story, they can use digital content to fantasize and

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create the stories. That is the genesis for their purchase of [My Little Pony’s] Pinkie Pie or [Transformers’s] Optimus Prime.

TV KIDS: How do you drive a consumerproduct strategy nowadays?

DAVIS: Storytelling and consumer insight are at the center of Hasbro’s brand blueprint. Listening is a really critical part of what we do. We spend a considerable amount of time and resources on consumer testing, listening to our consumers— the things that they like and don’t like. We actually put our product in front of them, we put our content in front of them, and we ask them the tough questions, and we listen.

Transformers Robots in Disguise [RID] was the second generation of the animated Transformers series (it was originally Transformers Prime and then it went into a new series). RID is a reflection of everything that kids liked and didn’t like about Transformers Prime; it’s the first consumer-generated series that Hasbro has ever done. That came out of a considerable amount of consumer insight. So between activating our brands through storytelling, and listening to the consumer insight we get from boys and girls, moms and dads, we then effectively have those assets as tools in our arsenal to stimulate our toy and game business and our lifestyle licensing business, creating immersive entertainment experiences. We feel like that’s our secret sauce.

TV KIDS: What are the challenges of keeping long-running brands fresh?

DAVIS: We have the privilege of having brands that have great resonance with consumers, such as Transformers, My Little Pony, Littlest Pet Shop. We can support those brands with lots of content, which is really critical to keeping them front and center for kids and families. We’re also incredibly considered about whom we work with, and we really do work with some of the best and most innovative storytellers. They help us keep those stories alive so kids don’t grow bored of them.

We’re also looking at ways to present content differently.

Linear is very important to our strategy, and digital is very important to our strategy, but with the format of content—the traditional 22 minutes still remains the pulse of our business—we’re looking at different ways to tell the stories: through short form, through immersive experiences, toys-tolife and other ways that will engage kids.

TV KIDS: How has the evolution of Discovery Family reflected the evolution of the channel business?

DAVIS: One thing that has not changed is the fact that having a domestic broadcast network is very important to creating a globally appealing business, to being able to fully monetize it. Clearly, platforms like Netflix have done an amazing job of demonstrating that not all content has to go on broadcast, but we felt like we needed to be everywhere a kid would be

consuming content—that included, as part of the ecosystem, a broadcast network. When we bought 50 percent of [what was then] Discovery Kids, the digital and streaming landscapes were very different. At the time, it was important to us to have that anchor in the U.S. to help give us exposure not only in the U.S. but also internationally. We’ve rebranded the channel, and it’s still the highest-rated network for co-viewing— kids 6 to 11 watching with adults 18 to 49—and it’s still a very critical part of that overall ecosystem.

TV KIDS: From a distribution perspective, what are the challenges and where are the opportunities beyond the U.S.?

DAVIS: The challenges and the opportunities are really one and the same. The international market from a nonlinear perspective has been somewhat behind the U.S., and now it is accelerating. Finn Arnesen, Nina Scales and my phenomenal sales team spend a lot of time figuring out the content management, the rights management, the windowing of our content, to be sure that we are putting that content in the hands of as many kids as we can. That’s the one thing, certainly over the last ten years, that has become increasingly more complicated. But it has also presented tremendous opportunities for all of us.

TV KIDS: Looking ahead, what do children’s content companies need to do to remain relevant for the new media-savvy generation?

DAVIS: It’s about understanding that the generation of kids that we’re engaging with has so many choices and a relatively short attention span (which has probably become more acute as a result of the digitalization of our business). Being authentic is really important. Consumers have very little tolerance for 22minute or 72-plus-minute commercials. They want to be engaged. It’s about creating great stories and great characters and understanding how [your content] can be as relevant and immersive and engaging for a 3-year-old as it is for a 14-yearold, and that is a challenge of storytelling. But if it’s something you establish as an objective, you can be successful. I think our success is a testament to that.

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Stephen Davis gave a keynote at MIPJunior 2015, moderated by World Screen’s Anna Carugati.

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TG TAKES OFF

Kids’ content platform Toon Goggles has ambitious growth plans for 2016, including ramping up its slate of original IP. By Mansha Daswani ince its launch in 2012, the children’s content platform Toon Goggles (TG) has been working aggressively to establish a presence on as many consumerelectronics devices as possible. The on-demand entertainment platform, delivering games, animated and live-action series and music, has deals with Verizon’s mobile service go90, smart-TV manufacturers like VIZIO and Hisense and tablet makers such as Kurio, among many others. That extensive reach has been key to the platform’s growth, says CEO Stephen L. Hodge.

“As crowded as the market is, in a lot of places we’re the only children’s service available,” Hodge notes. “If you were to turn on a VIZIO TV, we’re the only children’s service there.

If you were to turn on a Panasonic, we’re one of two

S

Lee Adams and Stephen L. Hodge.

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children’s services there. You turn on any smart TV, you’re going to find Toon Goggles. On a lot of those devices we’re preloaded and on some of those devices we have buttons on the remotes [as is the case with] Seiki, and we’re on the packaging. From the very beginning we have focused on being where children are consuming content. There are a lot of other companies that just exist in the App Store—we’ve always focused on being a bit more than that. That’s helped us with a lot of our consumer recognition. We haven’t been spending capital on user acquisitions. Our users are discovering us from unboxing their Panasonic TV, going to the children’s section and seeing Toon Goggles heavily promoted.

They’re going onto their VIZIO TV or the recently launched Hisense TV and as soon as you launch the on-demand section, you see Netflix and you see Toon Goggles.”

To propel the company forward into its next stage of growth, TG is now focusing on more original IP development and ramping up its licensing and merchandising activities. “We want to separate ourselves from others in this space,” Hodge says. “We’re at a point where we have enough distribution that our service is recognizable on many different platforms. We’d like to build our service into a destination where more engagement can happen. The easiest way to make that happen is for us to be in control of the IP, so that we can quickly make a decision to turn an IP into a show, turn it into a game, turn it into an interactive book, etc., and then licensing and merchandising plays into that.”

To aid in its IP and L&M expansion efforts, TG recently brought on Lee Adams as its CCO. For Adams, developing content for an on-demand service presents a range of new opportunities as compared with the development process at traditional linear broadcasters.

“We can accelerate the development and production process,” Adams says. “Usually there’s a testing phase and then a focus group. When we have the first episode, we’re able to put it up and in real time see how kids are reacting to the characters or

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the plot. So it’s kind of like our audience is going to be developing the series as we are developing it. And it keeps the show relevant as we’re able to see how the trends are changing and adjust accordingly.”

Plus, Hodge adds, “While production is happening, the assets that are created can be used to produce different types of interactive books and games and other experiences that further promote the coming show, as well as provide good engagement for our users.”

Adams also points to the flexibility that an on-demand platform offers in terms of content duration. “We don’t have to do three 7-minute [segments] to fit into a halfhour. We want IP holders to lose those restrictions. So if [someone] wanted to do a show that’s 2.5 minutes or 6 minutes, but could never get it on Nick or Disney, we’re the platform for that.”

TG is also looking to add more third-party content to its offering. “We’re basically open to any acquisition or co-production model, any genre as long as it fits into family, and any medium,” Adams says.

TG’s first foray into original programming was Eddie is a Yeti, produced in association with Italy’s Mondo TV, which is distributing the show worldwide. Also in Merchandising is a key priority for TG on its original series, which include Eddie is a Yeti.

production are The Magic Academy and Fairy Tale Stories from Real Life Puppets.

Hodge says that expanding the reach of TG’s original IP is key. “We want other platforms to also be able to enjoy our properties, exploit our properties and help with distribution of those properties, because merchandising is where we really have our hopes and ambitions set. The only way for us to truly be successful in that arena is to have as many eyeballs on our content as possible.”

The platform has found that shorter-form content of 3- to 5-minute episodes tends to be more popular on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Users on set-top boxes and smart TVs are more likely to be engaged in shows of more traditional 7- or 22-minute episode lengths.

“We also find that, because of the nature of the devices that are being used, our users want content that is as high-definition as it gets,” Hodge says. “That’s the reason Toon Goggles is also a pioneer in the distribution of 4K content. We actually have one of the largest libraries of 4K content for children, which is being consumed heavily on our platform.”

Hodge believes that this 4K expertise gives TG a leg up in its expansion plans. “A lot of cable companies are adopting an IP-based method for distributing their content. The main reason for that is so they can broadcast 4K, which cannot be distributed on traditional cable coaxial lines. That opens the door to over-the-top services like ours to become cable channels.”

Hodge and Adams have identified a number of other key growth opportunities for 2016, among them eBooks.

“We’ve created a proprietary technology that makes the experience robust and the turnaround quite quick,” Adams says.

“We also really want to focus on second-screen engagement,” Hodge adds. “A children’s platform is probably the perfect place to promote some type of secondscreen engagement, where an application can be interacting with the program that’s on TV or on a set-top box or on a gaming system.”

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