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Ciwen unevils VoD toon platform

Ciwen Media Group has set up a VoD service for kids in China, featuring animation from the likes of Nelvana Studios, Nerd Corps Entertainment, Zodiak Kids and DQ Entertainment.

BuddiesTV is now available online, through iOS- and Android-based apps for mobile devices and via IPTV operators across China, Ciwen said.

Media partners include Iqiyi.com, Tencent Video, Xiaomi box, China Telecomm and Shanghai Media Group subsidiary BesTV, while Ciwen has existing content deals with many North American and European distributors.

These mean viewers on mainland China, Macao and Hong Kong will have access to toons such as Franklin & Friends, Totally Spies and Slugterra, dubbed or subtitled.

Ciwen says it holds rights to more than 3,000 episodes of kids and family programming but it remains on the look-out for more kids’ content to house on BuddiesTV.

Daniel Victor, former exec VP of international business at Sesame Workshop, is currently the legal and business affairs advisor to Ciwen Kids and has been working with its VP, Sean Chu, on the venture for 24 months.

The past few decades have been “extremely challenging” for Western animation in China, said Victor, and BuddiesTV will be a place for Chinese kids and families to watch high-quality animation from around the world.

“We will make these properties more attractive to our audience by adding local elements to them,” added Chu.

This includes introducing new characters and storylines from the East into a 90-minute Slugterra movie that is set for theatrical release in China.

Ciwen also has plans to produce and syndicate a preschool-themed programming block including Franklin, Babar, and other properties for broadcast on national and local kids’ channels in China.

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