Genius Brands International set to acquire minority stake in Your Family

GBI series Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten

Genius Brands International (GBI) in the US is set to rebrand and invest up to €7m (US$7.9m) in Your Family Entertainment (YFE) after taking a minority stake in the German company.

LA-based GBI has agreed a deal with YFE shareholder F&M Film und Medien Beteiligungs to acquire a 29% stake in YFE, which will see GBI become a strategic shareholder in the company.

In addition, GBI has said it will invest up to €7m in YFE to support the expansion of its digital and linear channels and programming. GBI is also proposing that the company be renamed Genius Family Entertainment.

Under the deal, GBI and YFE, both of which produce and distribute children’s content, will enter a strategic partnership to bundle their sales and broadcasting activities, film libraries and streaming platforms.

GBI’s programming includes Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Shaq’s Garage, starring Shaquille O’Neal, for its Kartoon Channel!. It also makes Rainbow Rangers for Nick Jr and Llama Llama for Netflix.

YFE owns series such as Enid Blyton, Fix & Foxi and Altair and operates pay TV channel Fix&Foxi TV as well as free-to-air channel RiC TV and its international pay TV version RiC.today.