WildBrain London | |
Formerly | WildBrain (2016–2019) WildBrain Spark (2019–2024) |
Company type | Subsidiary |
Industry | Digital media |
Predecessor | Wildbrain Entertainment |
Founded | 25 April 2016 |
Headquarters | , England |
Area served | Worldwide |
Parent | WildBrain |
Divisions | WildBrain Digital Studios |
Website | www |
1968 | FilmFair London is founded |
---|---|
1971 | DIC Audiovisuel is founded |
1972 | Strawberry Shortcake brand is first developed |
1974 | CPLG is founded |
1976 | CINAR and Colossal Pictures are founded |
1982 | DIC Enterprises is founded |
1984 | Ragdoll Productions is founded |
1987 | DIC Audiovisuel closes |
1988 | Studio B Productions is founded |
1992 | Epitome Pictures is founded |
1993 | DIC Enterprises becomes DIC Entertainment |
1994 | Wild Brain is founded‚ and Red Rover Studios is founded, DIC Entertainment brands as The Incredible World of DIC |
1995 | Platinum Disc Corporation is founded |
1996 | CINAR buys FilmFair's library |
1997 | Decode Entertainment is founded |
1999 | Wild Brain acquires Colossal Pictures' employee base |
2002 | Nerd Corps Entertainment is founded |
2004 | Halifax Film Company is founded, CINAR rebrands as Cookie Jar Group |
2005 | Platinum Disc Corporation merge as Echo Bridge Home Entertainment |
2006 | Decode and Halifax Film merge as DHX Media, DIC acquires CPLG, and Ragdoll Worldwide is formed with BBC Worldwide |
2007 | DHX Media buys Studio B Productions and Wild Brain becomes Wildbrain Entertainment |
2008 | Cookie Jar Group absorbs DIC and House of Cool absorbs Red Rover Studios |
2010 | DHX Media buys Wildbrain Entertainment‚ and Peanuts Worldwide is founded |
2011 | Decode Entertainment and Red Rover Studios closes |
2012 | DHX Media buys Cookie Jar Group |
2013 | DHX Media acquires Ragdoll Worldwide’s back catalogue |
2014 | DHX Media buys Epitome Pictures, Nerd Corps, and Echo Bridge Home Entertainment's family content library, as well as Family, the English version of Disney Junior, the French version of Disney Junior and Disney XD; Cookie Jar Group is absorbed |
2016 | The WildBrain multi-channel network launches and Studio B and Nerd Corps merge as DHX Studios |
2017 | Wildbrain Entertainment closes; DHX Media buys Peanuts Worldwide and Strawberry Shortcake |
2018 | Halifax Film becomes Island of Misfits |
2019 | DHX Media rebrands as WildBrain, Epitome Pictures closes, and the WildBrain MCN becomes WildBrain Spark |
2020 | CPLG becomes WildBrain CPLG |
2021 | Echo Bridge folds into SP Distribution |
2023 | WildBrain acquires House of Cool |
2024 | WildBrain Spark merged into its parent company as WildBrain London |
WildBrain Family International Limited, operating as WildBrain London (formerly WildBrain and WildBrain Spark), is a British multi-channel network owned by Canadian media company WildBrain (formerly DHX Media). It distributes and produces preschool and children's video content for YouTube and other digital platforms. The division officially launched in 2016; it reuses trademarks associated with Wildbrain Entertainment, an animation studio that had been acquired by DHX. [1] It maintains offices in London.
The division is responsible for distributing pre-existing material and creating original animated and live-action shorts based on properties owned by its parent company and partners. WildBrain Spark also manages the YouTube presence for a number of external brands and businesses, including Beyblade Burst , Bing , Larva , Moomins, Mr. Bean Animated , Outfit7, Playmobil, The Smurfs, NBCUniversal, Turbozaurs and Warner Bros. Discovery, among others. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
In September 2019, DHX Media changed its name to WildBrain, citing strong brand recognition stemming from the MCN. Concurrently, the MCN was renamed WildBrain Spark. [8]
In November 2023, WildBrain Spark merged into its parent company under its YouTube network business in London, along with Digital Studios and Media Solutions, and it was completed in January 2024 with Kate Smith appointed as Executive Vice-president for Audience Engagement. [9]
Teletubbies is a British children's television series created by Anne Wood and Andrew Davenport for the BBC. The programme focuses on four differently coloured characters known as the Teletubbies, named after the television screens on their bellies. Recognised throughout popular culture for the uniquely shaped antenna protruding from the head of each character, the Teletubbies communicate through gibberish and were designed to bear resemblance to toddlers.
Nelvana Limited is a Canadian animation studio and entertainment production company owned by Corus Entertainment since 2000. Founded in July 1971 by Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert, and Clive A. Smith, it was named after Nelvana of the Northern Lights, the first Canadian national superhero, who was created by Adrian Dingle. The company's production logo is a polar bear looking at Polaris, the North Star.
Treehouse TV is a Canadian English-language discretionary specialty channel that was launched in 1997. Its name comes from sister network YTV's former programming block, "The Treehouse". The channel is owned by YTV Canada, Inc., a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment. Having launched on November 1, 1997, it is the first full-day preschool-oriented TV Channels in Canada.
Family Channel is a Canadian English-language specialty channel owned by WildBrain Television Inc., a subsidiary of WildBrain. The network primarily airs children's television series, teen dramas, as well as other programming targeting a family audience. Despite having its own headquarters in the Brookfield Place office in Financial District, the channel is transmitted from Corus Quay.
Michael Hirsh (born April 7, 1948) is a Belgian-born Canadian producer, TV executive, entrepreneur, and author. He has been attributed to building from the ground up the Canadian animation industry and, more specifically, award-winning children's programming since the 1980s. He co-founded Nelvana, a Canadian based animation and entertainment studio in 1971 with partners Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith producing numerous cartoons that established Nelvana as a leader in the industry including Little Bear, Franklin, Babar, Max & Ruby, The Magic School Bus, Care Bears, The Adventures of Tintin, Inspector Gadget, Droids and Ewoks, among many, many others. After Corus Entertainment's acquisition of Nelvana, Hirsh became the CEO of Cookie Jar Entertainment, which created numerous highly popular children's shows, among them Arthur, Johnny Test, and Strawberry Shortcake. When Cookie Jar was acquired by DHX Media Hirsh became the Executive Chairman of the company, the largest supplier of kids programming to online streaming services as well as a leader in production and licensing and merchandising for children. Three years after the acquisition by DHX Media, Hirsh left the company to serve as CEO and chairman of WOW! Unlimited Media from 2015 to December 2023.
Wildbrain Entertainment, Inc. was an American entertainment company and animation studio that developed and produced television programming, motion pictures, commercial content, and licensed merchandise. Established in 1994, it maintained offices in Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco.
Epitome Pictures Inc. was a Canadian film and television production company based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded by Linda Schuyler and Stephen Stohn in 1992, the company is best known for producing Degrassi: The Next Generation and Degrassi: Next Class, the fourth and fifth respective entries of the Degrassi teen drama franchise, of which was co-created by Schuyler. Other television series produced by Epitome include Liberty Street,Riverdale, and The L.A. Complex. In 2016, Epitome was absorbed into DHX Media and the Epitome name and branding ceased.
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 and Ragdoll Productions libraries, and a stake in the Peanuts franchise.
Strawberry Shortcake is a cartoon character used in greeting cards published by American Greetings. Strawberry Shortcake's character was originally conceived as a mascot for a line of fruit-flavored candy before officially evolving into the beloved character today. The line was later expanded to include dolls, posters, and other products featuring the character, as well as an extended cast of friends and pets. In addition, the franchise has spawned television specials, animated television series and films. The franchise is currently owned by the Canadian children's television company WildBrain through the holding company Shortcake IP Holdings LLC.
Disney XD is a brand of children's TV channels owned by The Walt Disney Company. Since its American debut on February 13, 2009, the brand was launched in other markets. The channel was formerly known as Toon Disney or Jetix in most areas.
WildBrainTV is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by WildBrain. WildBrainTV broadcasts live-action and animated children's programming aimed towards audiences ages 6–15.
Family Jr. is a Canadian specialty channel owned by WildBrain. A sister channel to Family Channel, it broadcasts children's programming aimed at viewers aged 2 to 7. Legally, the channel operates as a multiplex service of Family Channel, stemming from its former licensing status as a premium television service; therefore, it is distributed at no additional charge to Family Channel subscribers. Along with its French-language counterpart, Télémagino, it was available in over 4 million Canadian households as of 2013.
9 Story Media Group Inc. is a Canadian media production, animation studio, and distribution company founded in September 2002 by Vince Commisso, Steve Jarosz, and Blake Tohana.
Eric Ellenbogen is an American entertainment executive known for co-founding Classic Media and serving as CEO of Marvel Enterprises from 1998 to 1999. He is the former chief executive officer and vice chairman of WildBrain.
Universal Kids is an American children's television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Media Group division of NBCUniversal, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast.
WildBrain Studios is the in-house television studio arm of Canadian entertainment company WildBrain based in Vancouver, British Columbia, which was established in 2016 as DHX Studios.
Those Characters from Cleveland, LLC, officially doing business 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.
Snoopy in Space is an animated television series inspired by the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz. Developed by Mark Evestaff and Betsy Walters, and produced by WildBrain Studios, the show debuted on November 1, 2019 on Apple TV+.