NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nickelodeon, a division of Viacom International Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), and SmartStudy, the global entertainment company behind the beloved children’s brand, Pinkfong, will partner to develop a new original animated series based on Baby Shark for global distribution, while Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products (VNCP) will be managing consumer products licensing worldwide, excluding Asia, for the property.
Baby Shark became a breakout sensation when it launched on YouTube in November 2015. With music, characters, story and dance all combined together, Baby Shark took the world by storm, amassing 2.9 billion YouTube views and becoming the 9th most watched video in the platform’s history. The song recorded a 20-week-streak on the Billboard Hot 100 and spawned a viral phenomenon #BabySharkChallenge, generating over 700K cover videos around the globe.
“Baby Shark is a multiplatform phenomenon, and appetite for more content and products is strong around the world,” said Pam Kaufman, President, Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products. “Our outstanding creative teams are moving fast to get more Baby Shark product across multiple categories to retailers, and our content team is excited to develop a terrific original animated series that will bring this property to new heights and even more fans.”
“Baby Shark has captured the imagination of millions of fans around the world, so it’s no surprise it’s one of the top 10 most-viewed videos on YouTube ever,” said Ramsey Naito, Executive Vice President, Nickelodeon Animation. “At the heart of any popular piece of content is a terrific character, and we have a great opportunity to further explore the world of Baby Shark and follow this family through some great animated adventures on Nickelodeon.”
“We are really excited to be partnering with Nickelodeon to co-produce our first television series about Baby Shark and look forward to bringing our characters from the screen into the real world,” said Min Seok Kim, CEO, SmartStudy.
About SmartStudy
Founded in June 2010, SmartStudy is a global entertainment company moving beyond the limits of platforms to create original content across children’s education, games and animation. Through SmartStudy’s beloved children’s brand, Pinkfong, the company produces modern-day songs and stories to provide stimulating, fun, learning experiences to children.
About Pinkfong
Pinkfong is a global entertainment brand that creates award-winning kids’ content for families around the world. Pinkfong has over 4,000 songs and stories within its vast library of children’s content, which can be accessed on the App Store and Google Play, as well as on YouTube and Amazon Video. Pinkfong’s accolades include the Amazon Video Direct Star, YouTube’s Diamond Play Button and Google Play’s Best Family App of 2014-2017.
For more information, please visit the Pinkfong website, subscribe to its YouTube channel, or follow the company on Facebook and Instagram.
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 40th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).
About Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products
Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products (VNCP) oversees all merchandising and retail operations for Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), one of the world’s leading multimedia entertainment companies and home to such powerhouse brands as Nickelodeon, MTV, Paramount Network, Paramount Pictures and Comedy Central. With a diverse portfolio spanning animation, preschool, youth and adult licenses, VNCP is committed to providing key partner development and innovative marketing solutions, ensuring the highest quality product offering across some of the world's most powerful TV and entertainment properties, including SpongeBob SquarePants, PAW Patrol and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
