KidsCo’s future in German-speaking territories is in doubt, as C21 understands the international children’s channel has ceased dubbing content in the language.
Stopping its German dubbing operation effectively means KidsCo, which is jointly owned by NBCUniversal (NBCU), Nelvana Enterprises and Cookie Jar Entertainment, will no longer provide new local-language content for such partners.
Furthermore, C21 understands German cable platform Kabel BW has cancelled its contract to carry the channel just 18 months into a three-year carriage agreement.
KidsCo declined to comment on both counts. A Kabel BW spokesman also declined to comment directly, saying only that KidsCo was currently distributed on its MeinTV Komplett and MeinTV Kids and Music packages.
Dubbing content in German is expensive and a source said KidsCo management, led by NBCU business development executive and interim MD Hendrik McDermott, believe losing Kabel BW would make the entire territory unprofitable.
A meeting was called this week to discuss strategy, the source added.
It is unclear if Kabel BW’s decision relates to the dubbing situation or an undisclosed wider restructure of carriage agreements ahead of its merger with larger German cable TV rival Liberty Global-owned Unitymedia.
But it is understood the German companies have not yet discussed their carriage agreements. Unitymedia has renewed its KidsCo deal but with no new German-dubbed content forthcoming, this raises questions about KidsCo’s carriage agreements in Austria and German-speaking regions of Switzerland.
The latest twist comes after C21 last month revealed the departures of KidsCo’s executive commercial director Anna Pak and marketing chief Chris Nicholls; and that of founding CEO Paul Robinson in November.
Earlier this week, the proposed Unitymedia/Kabel BW merger hit a hitch after rival telecoms group opposed the deal.
Deutsche Telekom and NetCologne have formally challenged the German Federal Cartel Office’s approval of the merger, which came in December.
The Kabel BW spokesman, also representing Unitymedia, downplayed the development and said he expected the initial ruling to be upheld in court.
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