Moonbug Entertainment is set to expand its children’s empire on Netflix, betting that the Blippi universe has room for growth.
When Candle Media, the Blackstone-backed content rollup led by Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs, acquired Moonbug Entertainment last year at a $3 billion valuation, much of the attention was on Cocomelon.
The animated preschool franchise is one of the most popular channel owners on YouTube, and its Netflix show is one of the most popular kids programs on the streaming platform. But Moonbug, under its new ownership, has also been seeking to expand, acquiring the Little Angel YouTube franchise earlier this year.
Now, it’s using one of its own brands, Blippi, as a jumping off point.
To that end, Netflix will launch the first spin-off show set in the world of Blippi starring Meekah, a character played by Kaitlin Becker who was first introduced on the Blippi YouTube channel last year. The series, Meekah, will debut Dec. 1 on Netflix in English, Spanish, and Portuguese-speaking countries.
But the Netflix show is just one part of Moonbug’s plan. The company also released a 20-track Meekah-branded musical album, and is developing Meekah-themed merchandise. A standalone Meekah YouTube channel launched in the spring has quietly amassed 500,000 subscribers, and an upcoming Blippi live tour will include Meekah in a starring role.
It’s all part of a push to build a library of formidable intellectual property in the children’s entertainment space, where success, if done well, can provide dividends for decades.
Blippi, the live-action character created by actor Stevin John in 2014, was acquired by Moonbug in 2020. The company now says that Meekah is likely to be just the first of many new characters from that universe.
“Meekah is our first addition to the Blippi universe and she has proven to be an instant hit with fans. In fact, we see a double-digit increase in viewers for episodes that feature Meekah,” said Andy Yeatman, managing director of the Americas for Moonbug Entertainment. “This is such an exciting milestone for the Blippi franchise, we can’t wait to see how kids continue to connect with this character on and off screen.”
Source: Hollywood
