Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs’ Candle Media has acquired LA-based Exile Content Studio, which is growing with kids projects, including a franchise inspired by NFTs.
The financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Exile Content Studio—focused on creating Spanish-language content for an underserved global Latino audience—has made a name for itself with adult programming such as Todo Va A Estar Bien for Netflix and docu-series Un Sueño Real for HBO. But the company has had a stake in kids content since December 2021, when it launched a dedicated division and hired former Hasbro chief content officer Stephen Davis to head it up.
Exile’s latest kids project is a partnership with Spanish artist Edgar Plans to turn his Lil’ Heroes NFT brand into an animated series, licensed merch and digital products. The IP focuses on a group of small mouse-eared figures who bring attention to social issues like climate change and racism.
The company previously made the 14 x 11-minute live-action/animated series Club Mundo Kids (pictured) to teach kids about topics like the environment, space and sports. Exile launched the show, aimed at four- to eight-year-olds, on Amazon Prime Video in the US in September 2021, and broadcasters including NBCUniverso (US), Televisa (Mexico) and Venevision (Venezuela) have picked it up. Exile also expanded the brand with an album called Club Mundo Kids Vol. 1, which it launched on platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music.
Exile’s founder Isaac Lee, a former Univision and Televisa exec, will continue to oversee the company’s day-to-day operations. Exile has offices in Mexico, Madrid and Miami.
Candle Media has been making waves in the kids content industry recently with other acquisitions. Former Disney alums Mayer and Staggs acquired Moonbug Entertainment, owner of popular kids brands including CoComelon and Blippi, in November 2021. At the beginning of this year, Candle expanded its upper ranks by hiring former Disney exec Salil Mehta as CFO and former United Talent Agency exec Brent Weinstein as chief development officer.