MADRID--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The multi-award-winning animated television series Pocoyo will now be featured in a new half-hour timeslot during the weekends on Nick Jr., Nickelodeon’s 24-hour commercial-free, educational preschool network in the U.S. Commencing on July 23, 2011, Pocoyo will air on Saturday’s and Sunday’s at 1.00pm ET/10am PT, complementing the current weekday broadcasts. The announcement was made today by Maria Doolan, Managing Director, Brand & Business Development, Zinkia Entertainment.
In addition to the new time slot on Nick Jr., Pocoyo, a Parents’ Choice Gold Award winner, has also achieved milestones online and across social media platforms. Pocoyo’s YouTube Channel now receives over 50 million hits per month, totaling over 500 million hits in the past two years. Official Pocoyo on Facebook has won over 500,000 fans; plus there are 5 million unique visitors on the Pocoyo blog; and more than 5,000 Twitter followers.
Pocoyo follows the adventures of an inquisitive and fun-loving boy as he discovers the world around him, bringing children into his bright and exuberant world packed with color, music and vibrant visual images. Pocoyo represents a universe of core values that promote a philosophy of curiosity, sincerity, tolerance, respect and love. With these guiding principles, Pocoyo encourages kids to “Learn through Laughter,” utilizing a blend of humor and learning which mimics children’s development to inspire and inform children about the world around them. The ‘parent’ figure is voiced by writer/actor Stephen Fry (Alice in Wonderland, Bones). Recognized as a global brand, Pocoyo airs on television channels around the world.
“Pocoyo began airing on Nick Jr. last year and has since been steadily building awareness and a strong fan base in the U.S. which is evidenced by the increase in our online presence,” comments Doolan. “With the new weekend time slot scheduled, we anticipate a significant increase in viewership as more children, parents and caregivers are exposed to Pocoyo and his friends as they play together, laugh together, and learn together.”
Currently licensed to broadcasters in over 150 territories worldwide, Pocoyo has earned a host of international accolades including a prestigious BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) for Best Animated Preschool Series, three Pucinella Prizes at Italy’s Cartoons on the Bay Festival and Best TV Series at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France.
Pocoyo’s online virtual world, www.pocoyoworld.com, has attracted more than 11 million unique visitors, and the Pocoyo app, Pocoyize, which allows users to create their own Pocoyo-style avatar, has proven a huge hit both online and via iPhone® with approximately 12 million people Pocoyized to date. The official Pocoyo website has amassed more than 27.5 million content downloads.
The new Pocoyo toy line from Bandai America, which captures the vibrant and exuberant world of Pocoyo, is currently available at retailers across the U.S. Additionally, a series of new Pocoyo DVDs are available from NCircle Entertainment at retailers nationwide.
In 2011, Pocoyo was named the first Global Kids’ Ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour “Beyond the Hour” campaign with a mission to raise environmental awareness among children and to encourage children to play a vital role in saving our planet.
About Zinkia
Founded in 2001, Zinkia Entertainment (Zinkia) specializes in the creation and management of entertainment properties for today’s global marketplace. Zinkia’s primary focus is the development and production of content for all media platforms to engage, entertain and educate children of all cultures. Zinkia is the exclusive worldwide licensor of global brand sensation POCOYO, one of Spain’s most successful animation productions, with a potential global audience reach of 3.5 million. The Company is currently developing new properties including MOLA NOGURU and THE FISHTALE SAGA. In April 2011, Zinkia acquired a 51% stake in London-based family entertainment company Cake. Zinkia is headquartered in Madrid, Spain and operates offices in China.