Family platform Blkfam enters the streaming market

Whoopi Goldberg has joined as an equity investor in this new Black-centric venture from former Warner Media exec Larry Adams.
February 26, 2024

A new AVOD streamer called Blkfam is launching in the US today (February 26) with a programming lineup that caters to Black families. 

It’s currently offering more than 1,000 hours of animated content, including 20-plus syndicated shows and original music-based programming. Blkfam is available on platforms including iOS, Android, Roku and smart TVs from Samsung, Vizio and LG.

The plan is to roll out more originals this year—and the company has 10 animated and live-action series in the pipeline. 

Blkfam sees a demand in the streaming landscape for an accessible and kid-friendly platform that centers the vastness of Black culture and experiences, putting educational and diverse storytelling at the forefront. (A Feburary 2024 Nielsen report noted that 67% of Black audiences in the US are interested in seeing more authentic representation of their identity group on TV.)

Entrepreneur and Blkfam CEO Larry Adams (pictured right) has been the driving force behind this new streamer, with award-winning actor Whoopi Goldberg (pictured left) and Whoop Inc. president Tom Leonardis also on board as equity investors. “By curating authentic content – proven through data and AI – primarily from Black storytellers, we’ve built a service reflecting true inclusion and diversity, where Black parents and children especially can feel holistically represented,” Adams said in a release.

Goldberg will help shepherd the creative development of exclusive projects for Blkfam. She has previous experience in kids content as the author of Little, Brown’s Sugar Plum Ballerinas book series and as a producer/voice actor on the 2004 Nick Jr. miniseries Whoopi’s Littleburg

Blkfam will also offer branded hubs featuring content licensed from diversity-focused streamer PlayWatch Kids, Candle Media’s ATTN: and the Africa Channel.

Playwatch Kids co-founder Jimmy Jenkins tells Kidscreen that his edutainment brand is curating a collection of animation for the new platform that showcases a diverse range of heroic characters representing diversity in race, disability and more. “We just want to create content so every kid can see themselves.”

Playwatch Kids launched last year as a YouTube channel and has attracted more than 162,000 subscribers with a focus on inclusive short toons such as Gabby Galactic and Healthy Hip-Hop. Coming up next, says Jenkins, is “a special project in partnership with Whoopi Goldberg which will probably be premiering at Tribeca. We also have a deal with public school districts to [provide] videos that help kids with reading and math.” 

Looking ahead, Blkfam is planning to explore brand partnerships to finance a more robust originals push. The content strategy will follow a “curated approach,” which Adams described to Variety as selectively focused on lesser-known and unique educational content, as opposed to a massive library expansion.

Adams previously oversaw the launch of WBD streamer Max during his tenure as SVP of digital strategy, product experience and head of design at Warner Media from 2019 to 2020. And he has amassed a lot of expertise in the digital space in senior positions at companies like AT&T, DIRECTV and Vimeo. 

About The Author

Search

Menu

Brand Menu