Nelvana Signs A Wave Of International Distribution Deals For Original Animated Series, esme & Roy
January 31, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NELVANA SIGNS A WAVE OF INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION DEALS FOR ORIGINAL ANIMATED SERIES, ESME & ROY
Series Picked Up By KiKA Among Seven Other Broadcasters
For additional media materials visit the Corus Media Centre
To share this release socially use: https://bit.ly/2DJo4T2
TORONTO, CANADA – January 31, 2019 – Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana, a world-leading international producer and distributor of children’s animated content, and Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organization behind Sesame Street, are pleased to announce that the original animated series Esme & Roy has been picked up by ARD and ZDF’s joint children’s channel KiKA in Germany, alongside seven other networks internationally. Distributed by Nelvana and created by TV veterans Dustin Ferrer and Amy Steinberg, KiKA Channel will begin airing Esme & Roy in late Fall 2019.
Building on the success of Esme & Roy, which launched in August 2018 on Treehouse in Canada and on HBO in the U.S., the new broadcast deal will see international distribution of 52 x 11-minute episodes of the animated series by KiKA (Germany), Disney Junior Southeast Asia (covering 15 territories including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Hong Kong), NRK (Norway), SVT (Sweden), YLE (Finland), Minimini (Poland), HOP (Israel), and DKids (Middle East, North Africa).
“We’re thrilled that KiKA and other international broadcasters are rolling out Esme & Roy to viewers worldwide,” says Pam Westman, Head of Nelvana Enterprises. “With the expansion into new territories, Esme & Roy will continue to enhance the educational entertainment landscape through physical, cognitive and socially engaging content.”
“Esme & Roy helps children deal with their emotions in fun and positive way – through the power of play”, says Sebastian Debertin, Head of Fiction & Acquisitions at KiKA. “The show will perfectly complement KiKA’s program and will speak to our young audience.”
With loveable characters who spark strong emotional connections among preschoolers and parents alike, Esme & Roy invites children into a colourful world where even the littlest monsters can overcome big challenges together. Esme and Roy will use the power of play to help younger monsters through familiar situations like trying new foods and feeling scared during loud thunderstorms. Little viewers will look up to their new favorite monster-sitters as positive role models, learning how to manage strong emotions with simple mindfulness practices alongside Esme and Roy’s charges. Infectious humor, imaginative design, and expressive voice talent including Millie Davis (Wonder, Odd Squad) and Patrick McKenna (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs [series], Hotel Transylvania: The Series), bring the world of Esme & Royto vibrant life.
About Nelvana
Nelvana is a world-leading international producer and distributor of children’s animated and live-action content. Nelvana produces a stable of award-winning and globally renowned brands that focus on comedies, preschool and boys action series and ancillary consumer products programs. Nelvana’s content airs on Corus Entertainment’s kids channels in Canada and in over 160 countries around the world. The Nelvana library has well over 4,000 episodes of programming and has received over 70 major international program awards including Emmys® and Geminis. Visit the Nelvana website at nelvana.com.
Follow Nelvana Enterprises on Twitter @NelvanaEnt
About Corus Entertainment Inc.
Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX: CJR.B) is a leading media and content company that creates and delivers high-quality brands and content across platforms for audiences around the world. The company’s portfolio of multimedia offerings encompasses 44 specialty television services, 39 radio stations, 15 conventional television stations, a global content business, digital assets, live events, children’s book publishing, animation software, technology and media services. Corus’ roster of premium brands includes Global Television, W Network, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network Canada, HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, HISTORY®, Showcase, National Geographic, Q107, CKNW, Fresh Radio, Disney Channel Canada, YTV and Nickelodeon Canada. Visit Corus at www.corusent.com.
About Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop is the non-profit media and educational organization behind Sesame Street, the pioneering television show that has been reaching and teaching children since 1969. Today, Sesame Workshop is an innovative force for change, with a mission to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. We’re present in more than 150 countries, serving vulnerable children through a wide range of media, formal education, and philanthropically-funded social impact programs, each grounded in rigorous research and tailored to the needs and cultures of the communities we serve. For more information, please visit www.sesameworkshop.org.
– 30 –
For media inquiries, please contact:
Emily Marshall
ChizComm Ltd. | www.chizcomm.com on behalf of Nelvana.
647.389.6101 x 341
emarshall@chizcomm.com
April Lim, Associate Publicist
Corus Entertainment
416.860.4216
april.lim@corusent.com
