Genius Brands International


Kids VOD service hits Comcast

Genius Brands International has launched its new on-demand service Kid Genius on Comcast in the US, taking it into 21 million US pay TV homes. GBI is the content company run by kids TV veteran and former DIC boss Andy Heyward, and Kid Genius is its new free, ad-supported VOD brand. Launching on cabler Comcast’s […]

News brief: Turner Lat Am net buys Stan Lee toon

Pay TV channel Cartoon Network Latin America has bought Stan Lee’s Mighty 7 from Genius Brands International in a multi-territory deal. The superhero-themed show comes from Stan Lee Comics, a joint venture of LA-based GBI, Lee’s POW! Entertainment and Archie Comics. It has previous been sold to the likes of TF1 in France, which was […]

New on-demand kids net set for Comcast

Genius Brands International is launching a new children’s channel on Comcast Communications’ Xfinity On Demand service in the US. Kid Genius will launch on the channel in autumn 2015, running shows such as Secret Millionaire’s Club and Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab and targeting 2-12s. GBI’s Baby Genius is already on Xfinity platform, going out via […]

Loesch joins board of Heyward’s Genius

Margaret Loesch has joined Andy Heyward’s kids producer and distributor Genius Brands International. Loesch was the founding president and chief creative officer of Discovery Communications-Hasbro joint venture channel Hub TV (which is now run by Discovery as Discovery Family Channel). She also oversaw the creation of Hallmark Channel when president and CEO of its parent […]

News brief: Genius hands Kaleidoscope sales role

Andy Heyward’s Genius Brands International is continuing to develop its distribution matrix by appointing sales houses to rep its catalogue in western Europe and Canada. Kaleidoscope Entertainment will handle sales of shows such as Baby Genius, Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab (pictured) and Llama Llama in Canada and NDRL will do the same in Germany, France, […]

Andy Heyward’s Genius hires digital exec

Genius Brands International, the kids content company run by Andy Heyward, has hired Jason Brumbaugh as vice president, digital. Brumbaugh is a former producer at Disney Interactive and at kids channel The Hub. He also worked at DIC, the kids producer and distributor that was run by Heyward before its sale to Cookie Jar. At […]

Genius names ex-MGM exec as finance boss

Kids-focused Genius Brands International has named former MGM finance VP Rebecca Hershinger as its chief financial officer. Hershinger will report to GBI’s chairman and CEO Andy Heyward, who has also promoted Matthew Kornberg to VP, finance. Heyward – the former DiC Entertainment and A Squared Entertainment chief who merged his operations with LA-based Genius last […]

Broadcasters buy Warren Buffet toon

Several international broadcasters have acquired Secret Millionaires Club, the Warren Buffett animated series. US-based Genius Brands International produces and distributes the series. It has shopped it to MTV3 in Finland, Mediacorp in Singapore, Workpoint in Thailand and Imagine Media in Israel. Secret Millionaires Club was created in partnership with and stars an animated Warren Buffett […]

Genius appoints Robles for Lat Am sales

Andy Heyward’s Genius Brands International has appointed Spiral International, a subsidiary of entertainment firm Etcetera Group, to represent its catalogue across Latin America. Distribution veteran Zasha Robles, director at Spiral International, will handle the catalogue, which includes properties such as Baby Genius, Secret Millionaire’s Club, Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab (pictured) and Stan Lee’s Mighty 7. […]

Novick to distribute Genius series in Asia

Genius Brands International has appointed Kerry Novick’s Small Screen Distribution to represent its titles throughout Asia. Small Screen is an boutique preschool vendor that works with Western content companies seeking to break the Asian market. Kids industry veteran Novick (pictured) leads the outfit, which will now handle GBI shows such as Baby Genius, Warren Buffett’s Secret […]