WildBrain facts for kids
Logo used since 2019
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Formerly
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DHX Media (2006–2019) |
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| Public | |
| Traded as | TSX: WILD |
| Industry | Television production Broadcasting |
| Predecessors | Wildbrain Entertainment Decode Entertainment Halifax Film Company Cookie Jar Group DIC Entertainment Ragdoll Worldwide |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Founders | Michael Donovan Steven DeNure |
| Headquarters |
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Canada
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Number of locations
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10 |
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Key people
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Josh Scherba (president and CEO) |
| Revenue |  CA$439.8 million (FY 2019) |
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Number of employees
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est. 1000 (2015) |
| Divisions |
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| Subsidiaries |
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WildBrain Ltd. is a Canadian company that creates, produces, and distributes children's television shows. They also manage popular brands and characters. WildBrain owns one of the biggest collections of kids' TV shows in the world.
This collection includes shows from companies they bought, like Cookie Jar Group and Wildbrain Entertainment. They also have rights to the Peanuts franchise, which features characters like Snoopy and Charlie Brown.
The company started in 2006 as DHX Media. It was formed when two companies, Decode Entertainment and the Halifax Film Company, joined together. Over time, DHX Media bought more studios and shows. In 2014, they started their own TV channels in Canada, like Family Channel. They also created a popular YouTube network called WildBrain in 2016. Because this YouTube part became so successful, the whole company changed its name to WildBrain in 2019.
Contents
How WildBrain Grew
Early Days as DHX Media
In May 2006, two companies, Decode Entertainment and Halifax Film Company, merged to form DHX Media. This new company became public, meaning people could buy shares in it on the stock market. This helped them get money for new projects.
In September 2010, DHX Media brought all its smaller companies under one name. Soon after, they bought an American animation studio called Wildbrain Entertainment.
A big step happened in August 2012 when DHX Media bought Cookie Jar Group. This deal made DHX the largest independent owner of children's TV shows in the world.
Expanding into Digital and TV Channels
In May 2013, DHX started three special channels on YouTube for kids: DHX Junior, DHX Kids, and DHX Retro. This helped them share their huge library of shows online.
Later in 2013, DHX bought Ragdoll Worldwide. This company managed popular shows like Teletubbies and In the Night Garden outside the UK.
In November 2013, DHX announced they would buy four children's TV channels in Canada. These included Family Channel, Disney Junior (English), Disney Junior (French), and Disney XD. This was the first time DHX owned TV channels. The deal was approved in 2014, and the channels became part of DHX Television.
DHX Media continued to grow by buying more content. In early 2014, they acquired Epitome Pictures, known for producing the Degrassi series. They also bought many other children's and family shows from a US distributor.
In December 2014, DHX Media acquired Nerd Corps Entertainment. This was a computer animation studio that created shows like Slugterra.
In 2015, DHX's deal with Disney ended. Their Disney-branded channels in Canada were then renamed to Family Jr. and Télémagino. DHX also made deals with other companies like AwesomenessTV and DreamWorks Animation to create and distribute new shows. They also partnered with Mattel to develop content for brands like Little People and Polly Pocket.
Big Changes and New Name
In April 2016, DHX Media created a new online video network called WildBrain. This network focused on digital content for kids on platforms like YouTube.
A major acquisition happened in May 2017. DHX bought an 80% share in Peanuts Worldwide, which owns the famous Peanuts characters like Snoopy. They also gained full ownership of the Strawberry Shortcake franchise.
In May 2018, DHX sold part of its share in Peanuts Worldwide to Sony Music Entertainment Japan. This helped the company manage its finances better.
In August 2019, Eric Ellenbogen became the new CEO of DHX Media. On September 23, 2019, the company officially changed its name to WildBrain. The online network they had created was then renamed "WildBrain Spark." The new name was chosen because it represented creativity and imagination.
In February 2022, WildBrain gained rights to the Jay Ward Productions library, which includes classic cartoon characters. They plan to create new content based on these characters. In 2023, Josh Scherba became the new President and CEO. WildBrain also acquired House of Cool, an animation studio that specializes in design and storyboards.
What WildBrain Does
WildBrain has several important parts that help it create and share entertainment for kids:
- WildBrain CPLG: This part of the company handles licensing for entertainment, sports, and other brands. They help bring characters from shows onto toys, clothes, and other products.
- WildBrain Distribution: This team helps share WildBrain's TV shows and specials around the world. They work to get shows onto different TV channels and streaming platforms in various countries.
- WildBrain Television: WildBrain runs four TV channels in Canada. Three are in English (Family Channel, Family Jr., and WildBrainTV) and one is in French (Télémagino). They bought these channels in 2013.
- WildBrain Studios: This is where WildBrain creates its animated shows. They have a production studio in Vancouver, British Columbia.
- WildBrain Spark: This is WildBrain's online video network based in London, England. It creates and shares digital content for kids on platforms like YouTube. This includes shows from WildBrain's own library, as well as educational videos and toy-related content. It is one of the largest children's channels on YouTube.
- House of Cool: This studio specializes in the early stages of animation production, like designing characters and creating storyboards for series, films, and commercials.
See also
In Spanish: WildBrain para niños
- List of WildBrain programs
- List of libraries owned by WildBrain
