THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Sensible pondering from the folks working the content material enterprise.
Olivier Bernard, COO and co-founder of Kedoo Leisure, discusses the content material firm’s growth and funding plans and the way it funds manufacturing by means of its digital-first windowing technique.
Inform us about Kedoo Leisure’s enterprise technique.
Kedoo specialises in creating, producing, distributing and managing premium content material on digital platforms. Our portfolio covers quite a lot of genres: animation for youths, movies and TV collection together with drama and factual leisure, alongside journey documentaries for households. Our stand-out titles embrace prime 10 Netflix youngsters’ animated collection Booba, Sonya From Toastville, Let’s Go!/¡Vamos!, The Marvel Guys and extra.
We function a broad distribution community spanning digital and streaming platforms together with YouTube, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, and FAST providers like Samsung TV Plus, TCL and Xiaomi. Our attain additionally extends to regional and native broadcasters, in addition to our personal apps.
Guided by a digital-first technique, we’re evolving our manufacturers to a full 360-degree strategy that expands our content material footprint into VoD and TV platforms. All our selections are knowledgeable by data-driven insights, with a deal with creating scalable, sustainable content material manufacturers that resonate with audiences worldwide throughout a number of platforms.
Sonya From Toastville had 200 million-plus views on YouTube
How is the corporate investing for the long run in content material manufacturing, acquisition and distribution?
Kedoo is making important investments in authentic content material manufacturing, with an increasing slate of tasks throughout youngsters and common leisure genres. Latest highlights embrace the newly launched Booba Reside Present (4×15’), a live-action spin-off of our flagship animated collection Booba; pilot episodes of Monkeys vs Robots, a slapstick comedy animated collection for all ages now in manufacturing as a trial; and Startup BC (10×22’), an adult-focused animation at present in improvement. We’re additionally creating model new common leisure content material, pushing into ever-more various codecs and audiences.
We’re rising our footprint with newly launched youngsters Quick channel/digital model Toon Mania. And now we have two Quick channels in improvement – one centered on factual leisure and the opposite on romantic drama. Our Tremendous Toons app has simply launched, with a second app, devoted to romantic drama, set to go stay quickly.
To help our rising distribution community, we’re actively buying (and all the time on the look-out for) high-quality content material that aligns with our strategy and strengthens direct-to-consumer and long-term model engagement.
In parallel, we’re actively extending our content material licensing efforts throughout VoD and TV platforms (domestically and regionally) for youths and common leisure past simply Booba. Our imaginative and prescient is to construct a 360-degree ecosystem that engages audiences worldwide throughout digital, streaming and linear platforms and helps long-term model development.
How is Kedoo navigating a tricky marketplace for kids’s content material that’s being hit by a downturn in commissioning and financial troubles?
As an alternative of relying solely on conventional commissioning, we fund our content material manufacturing by means of our digital-first windowing technique. Our ‘four-to-six pilot episodes’ mannequin permits us to check content material on YouTube, analyse efficiency metrics, collect viewers suggestions and optimise the format accordingly. Because the collection progresses, we safe income, which helps fund future episodes, making certain a extra sustainable and versatile manufacturing course of.
We’re additionally rising management over distribution and monetisation by means of the 360-degree networks now we have constructed – spanning digital, streaming, Quick, linear and app platforms – whereas diversifying threat by increasing the content material provide throughout youngsters and common leisure, together with movies, drama and factual collection. By constructing direct-to-consumer engagement and a sustainable content material portfolio, we will keep resilient and scalable, even in difficult market circumstances.
Sonya From Toastville was launch in 2024
What’s Kedoo seeking to purchase so as to add to its line-up of content material?
With new Quick channels and apps out there to audiences worldwide, we’re centered on buying high-quality youngsters’ content material, appropriate for six- to 10-year-olds and pre-teens, and romantic collection that may be tailored for shortform. We’re particularly curious about titles that may be localised to make sure broad attraction throughout worldwide markets.
Kedoo has a digital-first strategy however lately made the second season of Sonya From Toastville solely out there to broadcasters and streamers. Why did the corporate determine to do that?
Whereas sustaining a digital-first technique, we recognise the significance of flexibility in content material distribution. Broadcasters and streamers typically favor to premiere well-established youngsters’ manufacturers on their platforms first, and we’re dedicated to supporting our companions’ preferences the place it provides strategic worth.
As Sonya From Toastville has gained sturdy recognition by means of its first season, garnering 200 million-plus views on YouTube since its launch in 2024, we made the choice to supply the second season solely to VoD and TV for its preliminary run. This motion goals to maximise the present’s attain and viewers engagement whereas reinforcing our broader 360-degree technique.
What are Kedoo’s core goals and aims for the subsequent yr?
At Kedoo, our focus over the approaching yr is to broaden our world distribution footprint and deepen viewers engagement, particularly throughout our owned platforms.
We’re dedicated to optimising content material manufacturing and acquisition by means of data-driven insights, whereas scaling our digital presence throughout Quick channels, apps and strategic partnerships with VoD and TV platforms.
By strengthening our 360-degree content material technique, we goal to attach extra successfully with world audiences – each new and present – throughout each key touchpoint
