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Pan-Arab net Al Jazeera Children’s Channel has acquired a Portuguese cartoon about a boy who lives on a magical island.
Gombby's Green Island
The channel will air Gombby’s Green Island (52x13′) later this year, after picking up rights from distributor Sports Stars Media (SSM), the AIM-listed firm currently producing an animated series starring soccer coach Jose Mourinho.
Gombby has previously been sold to North American children’s VoD service Kidobi and, according to SSM, was the fourth-most-watched toon on Spanish TV last month, where it goes out on TV Clan. The show launched in Portugal on RTP two years ago.
In related news, SSM has posted its first financial results since floating on AIM earlier this year and raising €1.6m (US$2m). The firm made an “expected” loss of €234,000 for the seven months to June 30, 2012, which included IPO costs. It had €936,000 cash in the bank.
The firm is currently producing 26-episode series Mourinho & the Special Ones, which stars the Real Madrid manager as the coach of a youth team. It is planned for completion in February next year.
SSM unveiled plans to produce seven-minute episodes to “maximise” the brand’s potential by lowering costs, and is planning an interactive web platform based on the show and a collectible card game.
