Following the Monday launch of its new free digital Kartoon Channel! across multiple AVOD and OTT platforms, Genius Brands International announced the outlet’s new programming slate of premium content for children 2-11 years old and their families. The news follows the company’s announcement that Arnold Schwarzeneggar, voice star and co-producer of upcoming original Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, has entered an agreement to become a significant investor in Genius Brands Int’l
“Kartoon Channel!, our 24-hour, free, video on demand, children’s program service went live this morning with unprecedented distribution reach, and an unprecedented initial content lineup,” said Andy Heyward, Genius Brands CEO. “In my three decades in children’s programming, I have witnessed kid’s television evolve from Saturday morning network with shows such as Scooby-Doo and The Smurfs, to the first-run syndication with shows like Inspector Gadget and He-Man, to dedicated cable channels (Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network) to digital platforms ranging from Netflix, Hulu and Disney +, to game platforms, mobile, YouTube, and all of the new and emerging technologies.
“Throughout the above, I am not aware of seeing another channel launch with such a volume of content, across such a broad range of platforms, penetrating virtually the entire United States TV Household universe. We are loading our episodes as fast as possible across all platforms and expect to have over 4,000 episodes available by the end of this month. Similarly, we will expect all of our platforms to be rolling out with full delivery in the coming days.”
Among the initial 1,000 episodes of entertaining and enriching content offered on Kartoon Channel! is the animated short feature, The Pig on the Hill, narrated by Pierce Brosnan; the hugely successful Angry Birds series, from the billion-dollar franchise; Baby Einstein and the Baby Einstein shorts; Llama Llama shorts; and the Minecraft-themed show, Journey to the End. The upcoming comedy-adventure series, Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, currently in pre-production and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, will debut on Kartoon Channel! in Q1 2021.
Currently, Kartoon Channel! can be accessed via Apple TV Devices, Android (mobile devices), Android TV, Amazon Fire Stick, Roku Devices, Xumo, Dish (AVOD + SVOD), Sling (AVOD + SVOD).
