Splash Entertainment

Last updated

Splash Entertainment, LLC.
FormerlyMike Young Productions, Inc. (1990–2009)
MoonScoop Entertainment, LLC (2009–2013)
Taffy Entertainment (2004–2009)
Company typePrivate
IndustryAnimation
Television series
Motion pictures
Predecessors Crest Animation Productions
MoonScoop Group
LuxAnimation
FoundedMarch 2, 1990;34 years ago (1990-03-02)
Founders Mike Young
Liz Young
Bill Schultz
Headquarters,
U.S.
Key people
Mike Young (co-CEO)
Steve Rosen (co-CEO)
Liz Young (President)
Subsidiaries Kabillion
CyberSplash Entertainment (50%)
Website www.splashentertainment.com

Splash Entertainment, LLC. (formerly known as Mike Young Productions, Inc. and MoonScoop Entertainment, LLC) is an American animation studio that produces children's TV series. Splash also controls the streaming service Kabillion. [1]

Contents

History

Independent era (1990–2005)

The studio was originally owned and operated by three animation producers, husband and wife Mike and Liz Young, [1] and Bill Schultz (6 seasons of The Simpsons , Garfield and Friends and Bobby's World ). [2] The studio makes both traditional 2D and 3D computer animation.

The company launched a self-distribution unit in 2002.

On March 29, 2004, the company launched Taffy Entertainment, which would become the company's rights management and worldwide distribution subsidiary. [3] Taffy soon launched a licensing unit in August. [4]

Acquired by MoonScoop and rebranding (2006–2013)

In October 2005, MoonScoop Group acquired a 51% majority stake in both MYP and Taffy, with Mike Young (through Mike Young Productions, Inc.) retaining a 49% stake. [5] In March 2009, MoonScoop announced that both units would be rebranded under the MoonScoop brand. [6] [7] with Mike Young Productions and Taffy Entertainment rebranding as MoonScoop Entertainment, LLC. [8]

Management buyout (2013–2022)

MoonScoop Entertainment, LLC.'s parent company, MoonScoop Group, entered administration in Paris courts in July 2013, but this did not affect the operations of the US company. [9] In November, Mike Young filed a $5 million lawsuit against MoonScoop's US holding division for a violation of contract, deeming that his business attempted to purchase out MoonScoop Group's stake in MoonScoop Entertainment, LLC., but wouldn't let him do so. Young also claimed that he was completely unaware of MoonScoop Group's financial issues. [10]

On January 27, 2014, Dargaud, through their fully-owned subsidiary Ellipsanime, purchased MoonScoop's assets, [11] and a week later on February 3, Mike Young purchased out Ellipsanime's 51% share in MoonScoop Entertainment, LLC., and rebranded the company as Splash Entertainment, LLC. [1]

Partnership with Cyber Group Studios (2022–present)

On June 13, 2022, Splash Entertainment announced they would form a joint-venture with French studio Cyber Group Studios called CyberSplash Entertainment. [12] The two companies expanded their partnership in February 2023 to include worldwide distribution rights to Splash's TV catalog. [13]

Productions

Television series

Feature films and specials

Awards

Related Research Articles

Code Lyoko is a French anime-influenced animated series created by Thomas Romain and Tania Palumbo and produced by Antefilms Production and MoonScoop Group for France 3 and Canal J, with the participation of Conseil Général de la Charente, Pôle Image Magelis, Région Poitou-Charentes and Wallimage. The series centers on a group of teenagers who travel to the virtual world of Lyoko to battle against a malignant artificial intelligence known as XANA who threatens Earth with powers to access the real world and cause trouble. The scenes in the real world employ traditional animation with hand-painted backgrounds, while the scenes in Lyoko are presented in 3D CGI animation. The series began its first, 97-episode run on September 3, 2003, on France's France 3, and ended on November 10, 2007 and on Cartoon Network in the United States on April 19, 2004.

Ellipse Animation is a French animation studio that produces television programs. It was founded in 1987. In February 2000 it merged with Expand SA; Expand sold the company to Dargaud in 2003, and it became Ellipsanime in 2004. In 2014, Ellipsanime bought the assets of Moonscoop SA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dargaud</span> Publisher of comics

Société Dargaud, doing business as Les Éditions Dargaud, is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics series, headquartered in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. It was founded in 1936 by Georges Dargaud, publishing its first comics in 1943.

Ocean Productions, Inc., is a Canadian media production and voice acting company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, that is part of the Ocean Group of businesses. Ocean Group is involved in intellectual property acquisition and development, co-production and the creation of English versions of animation for worldwide distribution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MoonScoop</span> French animated media company (2003–2014)

The MoonScoop Group was a French animation and production company that created and published animated television series. Its corporate headquarters were located in Paris, France, along with offices in the United Kingdom and the United States. It was established in 2003. It is most famously known for Code Lyoko and its open-ended sequel series, Code Lyoko: Evolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MGA Entertainment</span> American toy company

MGA Entertainment Inc. is a manufacturer of children's toys and entertainment products founded in 1979. Its products include Bratz, Num Noms, Lalaloopsy, and Rainbow High, as well as toys targeted at boys such as Scan2Go. MGA also owns Little Tikes and animation studio MGA Studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marvel Animation</span> Animation company

Marvel Animation Inc. is an American animation production company. It was incorporated on January 25, 2008 to direct Marvel's efforts in animation and home entertainment markets. The incorporated Marvel Animation included then ongoing animation efforts by Marvel Studios with Lionsgate and Nickelodeon. Marvel Animation operates under Marvel Studios, a subsidiary of Disney Entertainment, a division of The Walt Disney Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kabillion</span> Video-on-demand service

Kabillion is a children's video-on-demand channel owned by Splash Entertainment. Launched on January 7, 2007, Kabillion is available both as a free VOD channel currently available on Xfinity, Spectrum, Charter Communications, Cox Communications, Verizon Fios, Frontier FiberOptic and Optimum West digital cable systems across the United States, and as an OTT Network available on Sling TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV. Its headquarters are in Los Angeles, California.

WildBrain Ltd. is a Canadian media, animation studio, production, and brand licensing company, mostly associated as an entertainment company. The company is known for owning the largest independent library of children's television programming, including the assets of acquisitions such as Cookie Jar Group, Epitome Pictures, and Wildbrain Entertainment among others, distribution rights to the Jay Ward Productions library, and a stake in the Peanuts franchise.

Michael Emlyn Young is a Welsh Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning producer. He is the founder of two animation companies in both the UK and the US. His company in 2015 changed its name from Mike Young Productions to Splash Entertainment, which also is a majority owner of Popular AVOD network Kabillion.

Casper's Scare School is an animated television series based on the animated film of the same name featuring the Harvey Comics cartoon character Casper the Friendly Ghost. The series premiered in Canada on YTV on January 11, 2009, and then in France on TF1's TFOU block on April 1, and later in the United States on Cartoon Network on October 4 the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jam Filled Entertainment</span> Canadian animation studio

Jam Filled Entertainment is a Canadian animation studio based in Ottawa, Ontario, and a division of Boat Rocker Media. The company is best known for animating Thomas & Friends and Nicktoons.

Bill Schultz is an animation producer. He was born in New York City and grew up in River Forest, a suburb near Chicago, Illinois, moving to Los Angeles after graduating from the University of Illinois Champaign - Urbana Campus. He has worked on television shows such as Jim Henson's Muppet Babies, The Transformers, and produced others, notably The Simpsons andKing of the Hill and now the founder and CEO of Home Plate Entertainment. Schultz started Home Plate Entertainment in 2010, after stepping down from his 12-year partnership with Splash Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flying Bark Productions</span> Australian animation studio

Flying Bark Productions Pty Ltd is an Australian entertainment and animation studio. The studio acts as a full-service production facility across feature films, television and an assorted range of digital content. The studio was established by Yoram and Sandra Gross in 1967 as Yoram Gross Film Studios.

LuxAnimation was a Luxembourgish animation studio based in Doncols, Luxembourg.

PGS Entertainment is a French-Swiss privately owned investment family group dedicated to the financing and brand management of independent producers' children's television programming. PGS' broadcast and media partners include Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, and free-to-air broadcasters such as Super RTL, RAI, ABC, Pop, and Neox.

<i>Lalaloopsy</i> (TV series) American TV series or program

Lalaloopsy is an animated children's television series based on the dolls of the same name from MGA Entertainment. It was produced by MGA and MoonScoop Entertainment. The series first aired on March 29, 2013.

Kartoon Studios, Inc., formerly known as Genius Brands International (GBI), is an entertainment company headed by Andy Heyward. The company was formed from the merger of Genius Brands International and A Squared Entertainment.

Cyber Group Studios is a Paris-based developer, producer and distributor of animated television series and movies for children in France and internationally. The company produces 3D and 2D animation products for television series and movies, web series, and news and documentaries. It also licenses its own and third-party characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cloudco Entertainment</span> American entertainment company

Those Characters from Cleveland, LLC, officially trading as Cloudco Entertainment and formerly known as AG Properties and American Greetings Entertainment, is an American company which formerly traded as American Greetings' former character brand division. Properties owned by the company include Care Bears, Holly Hobbie, Madballs, Buddy Thunderstruck, Tinpo, The Get Along Gang and Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Dickson, Jeremy (February 4, 2014). "Moonscoop LLC rebrands as Splash Entertainment". Kidscreen. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  2. "Principals". Mikeyoungproductions.com. Archived from the original on September 7, 2012. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  3. "Mike Young Prods. Forms Taffy Biz Unit".
  4. "Taffy Ent. Launches New Licensing Division".
  5. "MoonScoop Acquires Majority Stake in Mike Young Prods./Taffy Ent".
  6. Emily Claire Afan (March 2, 2009). "Moonscoop rebrands worldwide operations". Kidscreen. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  7. "Taffy, Mike Young Get Rebrand Under Moonscoop Name".
  8. Emily Claire Afan (March 2, 2009). "Moonscoop rebrands worldwide operations". Kidscreen. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  9. Goldman Getzler, Wendy (July 8, 2013). "US-based Moonscoop not affected by French counterpart". Kidscreen. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
  10. "Moonscoop Faces $5M Lawsuit".
  11. Dickson, Jeremy (January 27, 2014). "Ellipsanime acquires Moonscoop". Kidscreen. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
  12. "Cyber Group & Splash Unite as CyberSplash Entertainment". June 13, 2022.
  13. "Cyber Group Studios Cyber Group Studios inks exclusive content distribution deal with Splash Entertainment". February 14, 2023.
  14. Hart, Hugh (August 11, 2002). "Who da man? 'He-Man'". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on April 26, 2010. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
  15. "Mike Young & Scholastic animate Horrible Histories".
  16. "Kidscreen Awards, 2007".
  17. "Kidscreen Awards, 2008".