DHX Media has produced more than 60 original television properties, including the critically acclaimed Yo Gabba Gabba!, one of the most recognizable children's live-action series.
Halifax-based DHX Media has struck a deal to co-produce 130 half-hour kids television episodes with DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., the California-based studio co-founded by Steven Spielberg.
The five-year pact, announced Tuesday, also sees DHX license 1,000 existing half-hour TV episodes from DreamWorks, and a further 300 half-hours of teen content from another company the American studio owns, AwesomenessTV. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The shows included, such as The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show and All Hail King Julien, will air across DHX's stable of TV channels such as Family Channel, creating a pipeline of new programming to supplement DHX's extensive library. The company has built its brand on popular kids programs such as Teletubbies, Caillou and Yo Gabba Gabba!, which it sells internationally.
While DHX will control the new shows born of the co-production arrangement in Canada, DreamWorks Animation will distribute them to the rest of the world.
"This pact with DHX will not only expand the footprint of our existing library, but also create new branded series in Canada with global appeal," DreamWorks Animation president Ann Daly said in a statement.
"Given the recognition that DreamWorks' animated content comes with, DHX would benefit both from their expertise and their reputation. This may particularly be the case when it comes to negotiations with affiliates," Aravinda Galappatthige, an analyst at Canaccord Genuity Corp., said in a research note.
James Bradshaw