India’s Toonz Media Group is launching an international linear kids channel to open up distribution opportunities for its back catalogue and attract the families that want curated content.
The rollout will be orchestrated by the company’s brand-new Toonz Media Networks unit, which former Zee Entertainment Enterprises exec Mukund Cairae has been hired to run as president.
Cairae started in July and will oversee the launch of linear and on-demand channels, develop partnerships to co-produce new content, and grow the studio’s international presence. Initially focusing on Toonz’s own preschool, kids and family content, the linear kids channel for viewers 16 and under will eventually also air third-party programming. The plan is to launch it first in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the MENA region, where Cairae says there is untapped ad revenue potential.
Cairae is no stranger to building a strong presence in linear broadcasting. Before joining Toonz, he was the COO of Zee Entertainment Enterprises, which creates movies and operates a broadcast and digital network including international channels ZeeTV and ZeeNews. He worked at the Mumbai-based media company for 16 years in various executive roles driving the international growth of Zee’s linear channel business, as well as ad sales and content production.
With heavyweights like Disney and ViacomCBS closing their linear kids networks in favor of focusing on their streaming platforms, there’s a growing opportunity for Toonz to fill gaps in the market, says Cairae. There’s still demand for kids content on linear—and now fewer competitors for these viewers. Families, in particular, are looking for curated content that they can tune into at anytime, making linear a strong proposition for Toonz, according to Cairae.
Managing its own channels also means the studio doesn’t have to arrange broadcast deals for each individual piece of content, so it can monetize its shows more directly, he adds.
In addition to focusing on linear channel business, the Toonz Media Networks unit is working to expand the company’s OTT presence, including its MyToonz platform that launched in February on Kidoodle.TV, Ameba and Toon Goggles.
Once the channels and OTT platforms are up and running, Cairae will turn his division’s attention to picking up third-party content for kids and families in order to keep these offerings fresh. It’s too early to say exactly what it will be looking to acquire, but Cairae says the studio already has plans for an original eSports series to engage the teen crowd.
“We’re bringing our shows wherever there’s a content gulf, and with animation, which travels easily internationally and crosses cultural barriers, there’s a lot of potential for us to grow,” says Cairae.