KidsCo, the joint-venture channel owned by NBC Universal, DIC Entertainment and Corus Entertainment, has secured a broadcast deal for carriage in sub-Saharan Africa.

The new agreement with Gateway Broadcast Services will bring the animated channel to Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia, Ghana, Ethiopia, Botswana, Namibia, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Malawi and Zimbabwe this month.

So far, the new net has rolled out in Romania, Hungary, Russia, Turkey, Poland, Singapore and the Philippines and the partners are planning on bringing the net to up to 40 territories, including Europe and Latin America within the next 18 months.

KidsCo is a 24/7 multiplatform channel that marries NBC Universal’s state-of-the-art broadcast distribution facility in the US and the company’s international network of affiliates with DIC and Corus stable of content that features approximately 3,000 half-hours of well-known series such as Inspector Gadget, Strawberry Shortcake, Madeline, Dennis the Menace and Care Bears.