Benesse stocks up for preschool SVoD

Meecha! will include content featuring Shimajiro (second from right)

Japanese educational company Benesse Corporation has picked up a raft of international content ahead of the launch of its SVoD service for preschoolers.

Meecha! will launch at the end of this month in Japan with in-house content alongside selected programmes from a number of international producers and distributors.

The launch line-up includes CBeebies shows Andy’s Dinosaur Adventures, Andy’s Prehistoric Adventures and Yakka Dee; ABC Australia shows Bobbie the Bear, Create and How to Do Stuff Good; and, from Serious Lunch, Tik Tak, produced by VRT/Ketnet in Belgium.

The latter show is focused on stimulating perceptual development among toddlers and preschoolers. It also airs on CBeebies.

Benesse Corporation provides private educational support services in Japan and, through its subsidiary Berlitz International, is a leading provider of foreign-language instruction.

The new service, which costs 660 yen (US$6.10) per month, will also stream content featuring Benesse Corporation’s popular preschool character Shimajiro. Its name has been chosen because it sounds like the way Japanese children say Mi Cha O, which means ‘I want to watch this.’

Daisuke Tebayashi, director of the global business division at Benesse Corporation, said: “This major new service, addressing the on-demand content that even the youngest audiences have grown to expect, is tailored to deliver great educational programming from around the world.”