Latest news with #CandleMedia
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
CoComelon set to move from Netflix to Disney+ as viewership declines
Parents whose children enjoy the preschool animated show CoComelon are potentially going to have to fork out for another streaming service as the series is set to jump ship from Netflix to Disney+. The 3D animated show, which is a mix of nursery rhymes and original children's songs revolving around the adventures of baby JJ and his siblings, TomTom and YoYo, has been a major hit on YouTube since its inception in 2006, where it is the third most subscribed channel with 193 million followers. CoComelon, which was purchased by Candle Media for $3bn in 2021, has been a Netflix mainstay since it was added to the platform in 2020 and regularly tops the viewing figures for preschool shows on the service. Deadline is now reporting that the series is now due to join Disney+ in 2027 as the company strengthens its grip on children's entertainment with titles such as Bluey and Spidey and His Amazing Friends already under its belt. According to The Hollywood Reporter, sources from Netflix say the decision not to renew the deal was due to viewership declining by 60 per cent between 2023 and 2024, despite four new seasons airing in 2024 alone. The Wrap also notes that Disney is expected to pay 'tens of millions' to stream every CoComelon season, with the show expected to arrive on its service in 2027, the same year a CoComelon movie is due to be released in cinemas. Former advertising executive and father of two Jay Jeon and his wife created CoComelon in 2005 and shortly afterwards began uploading the videos to YouTube. Those videos eventually grew to gain billions of views and CoComelon was acquired by Moonbug Entertainment in 2020 before that company was purchased by Candle Media. It has expanded the franchise with spin-offs including a podcast on Spotify and a live tour called 'CoComelon Live!' 'We never imagined our channel could grow this big, or that it could attract such a large and loyal following,' Jeon said when speaking to The Independent in 2020. 'We're so amazed each month, each year, and we're so grateful.' The couple uploaded their first video in 2006 under the name 'ABCkidTV' after discovering how much their children enjoyed the animated shorts. Later, the company changed to CoComelon because the original name felt 'limiting' on YouTube. CoComelon, to the founders, felt 'universal and fun for children', so the name was changed and popularity grew. 'We've tried to create characters that are adorable, likeable and universally relatable. We began to think of JJ, YoYo, and TomTom as our imaginary kids, and over time, we built a family around them – parents, grandparents, animal friends, school classmates,' Jeon said. 'And we think a lot about our audience and what they're going through: growing up, daily challenges, learning new things. Life! We hope they share experiences similar to those of our characters.'
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘CoComelon' Animated Series Moving From Netflix To Disney+
Preschool powerhouse CoComelon will have a new streaming home. Disney+ has picked up the hit animated series, which has been a Netflix mainstay since 2020. The move is slated for January 2027. CoComelon, from Candle Media-owned Moonbug Entertainment, originated on YouTube where it continues to be among the most popular channels. It also has been the top preschool title on Netflix, fueling the global streamer's growth in kids and family programming. More from Deadline Netflix Greenlights New Argentine Films As Ricardo Darín & Juan José Campanella Movies Begin Production 'Lilo & Stitch' Director Dean Fleischer Camp, Stars Maia Kealoha & Sydney Elizebeth Agudong & Producer Jonathan Eirich Talk Contemporary Updates To Classic Story 'The Waterfront' Trailer: Coastal Family Turns To Drugs To Save Empire in Kevin Williamson Drama Meanwhile, Disney has always been the preeminent brand for kids programming, and CoComelon, currently the #6 streaming show for preschool kids (2-5) according to Nielsen, will join the top 3 titles in the demo on Disney+: Bluey (#1), Spidey and His Amazing Friends (#2) and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (#3). According to Netflix sources, the streamer opted not to renew the CoComelon license due to decline in viewership for the preschool phenom, which was down nearly 60% from 2023 H1 to 2024 H2 despite four new seasons (S9-S12) launching in 2024, per the streamer's semi-annual reports. Offshoot Cocomelon Lane will continue exclusively on Netflix as well as Moonbug's Blippi. Possibly in light of the pending departure of CoComelon, first reported by Bloomberg, Netflix just secured the streaming rights of another preschool staple, Sesame Street. CoComelon's pedigree is similar to that of Bluey, coming from an independent international animated house. The two are now set to live side by side on Disney+ with the streamer likely to expand the CoComelon brand the way it has been doing it with Australian import Bluey. The series' move to Disney+ will come in the lead-up to the 2027 release of a CoComelon movie by Universal. The exclusive SVOD global rights to the show include future seasons as well as 8 seasons of spinoff Little Angel, which is popular in LATAM. This marks a return of sorts for CoComelon, which was available on Hulu between October 2020 and October 2022 on Hulu where Season 1 was the most watched title among households with preschoolers (by hours streamed). Best of Deadline 'Poker Face' Season 2 Guest Stars: From Katie Holmes To Simon Hellberg Everything We Know About Amazon's 'Verity' Movie So Far Everything We Know About 'The Testaments,' Sequel Series To 'The Handmaid's Tale' So Far
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘CoComelon' Animated Series Moving From Netflix To Disney+
Preschool powerhouse CoComelon will have a new streaming home. Disney+ has landed the hit animated series, which has been a Netflix mainstay since 2020. The move is slated for January 2027. CoComelon, from Candle Media-owned Moonbug Entertainment, originated on YouTube where it continues to be among the most popular channels. It also has been the top preschool title on Netflix, fueling the global streamer's growth in kids and family programming. More from Deadline Netflix Greenlights New Argentine Films As Ricardo Darín & Juan José Campanella Movies Begin Production 'Lilo & Stitch' Director Dean Fleischer Camp, Stars Maia Kealoha & Sydney Elizebeth Agudong & Producer Jonathan Eirich Talk Contemporary Updates To Classic Story 'The Waterfront' Trailer: Coastal Family Turns To Drugs To Save Empire in Kevin Williamson Drama Meanwhile, Disney has always been the preeminent brand for kids programming, and CoComelon, currently the #6 streaming show for preschool kids (2-5) according to Nielsen, will join the top 3 titles in the demo on Disney+: Bluey (#1), Spidey and His Amazing Friends (#2) and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (#3). CoComelon's pedigree is similar to that of Bluey, coming from an independent international animated house. The two are now set to live side by side on Disney+ with the streamer likely to expand the CoComelon brand the way it has been doing it with Australian import Bluey. The series' move to Disney+ will come in the lead-up to the 2027 release of a CoComelon movie by Universal. The exclusive SVOD global rights to the show include future seasons as well as 8 seasons of spinoff Little Angel, which is popular in LATAM. This marks a return of sorts for CoComelon, which was available on Hulu between October 2020 and October 2022 on Hulu where Season 1 was the most watched title among households with preschoolers (by hours streamed). Possibly in light of the pending departure of CoComelon, first reported by Bloomberg, Netflix just secured the streaming rights of another preschool staple, Sesame Street. Best of Deadline 'Poker Face' Season 2 Guest Stars: From Katie Holmes To Simon Hellberg Everything We Know About Amazon's 'Verity' Movie So Far Everything We Know About 'The Testaments,' Sequel Series To 'The Handmaid's Tale' So Far
Los Angeles Times
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Why Hollywood is not alarmed enough about Gen Z
Last week, people from all over the film industry descended on Las Vegas to debate the future of the theatrical experience at CinemaCon, the annual celebration of in-person moviegoing. But while attendees were taste-testing theater snacks, watching 'Superman' footage and hand-wringing about attendance levels, a more consequential conversation was playing out in the media business. A new survey of U.S. consumers suggested that for Gen Z, generally those people born between 1997 and 2012, the traditional storytelling mediums of movies and television shows have lost much of the relevance they held for previous generations. The key theme that sounded the alarm for show business executives: The way young people consume entertainment is changing. And Hollywood isn't paying enough attention. The threat isn't coming from streaming, which has been the source of much of legacy media's anxiety during the last several years. Instead, it's coming from social media platforms — TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and the like — and the personalities that dominate them. According to Deloitte's 2025 Digital Media Trends report, 56% of Gen Z respondents say social media content is more relevant to them than traditional content, including TV series and movies. Comparatively, only 43% of millennials and 26% of Generation X agree with that statement. Similarly, the majority of Gen Zers said they feel a stronger personal connection to social media creators than to TV personalities and actors, according to the report, which surveyed 3,595 U.S. consumers in October. Gen Z collectively spends more time consuming media and entertainment than its elder siblings and parents (6.9 hours a day, versus 6.3 hours for millennials and 6 hours for Gen X), but less time watching movies and shows on TV or on streaming services. Those preferences aren't going away, and they should be worrying for studios, TV networks and even such tech giants as Netflix and Amazon, which are obsessed with acquiring as much of people's attention as possible. Another fact of life not to be ignored: the increasing dominance of YouTube. The Google-owned video giant in February captured 11.6% of U.S. TV viewing, topping all other distributors (including Disney and Netflix) for the second time since Nielsen began tracking such data in November 2023. Research firm MoffettNathanson crowned YouTube as 'The New King of All Media' in a research report last month. 'The center of gravity in youth is not Hollywood. It just isn't,' said Kevin Mayer, co-founder and co-chief executive of Los Angeles-based Candle Media, during a recent talk hosted by the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills. 'This isn't happening in the future. It's happened already.' Mayer's perspective is a useful one. Candle Media owns 'CoComelon' producer Moonbug Entertainment and Reese Witherspoon's production company Hello Sunshine. He was also briefly the CEO of TikTok, and before that spent years as Walt Disney Co.'s top deal architect under Bob Iger. People in Mayer's position know that the shifting habits of younger audiences aren't the only threats to the entertainment industry as we know it. As we've written before in this column, studios are getting hammered by a dramatic economic evolution that shrunk profits, leading to massive layoffs, uncertainty and pressure to consolidate. Until recently, the pay-TV model allowed entertainment companies to 'over-monetize,' meaning their content was earning more than it was really worth. The practice of bundling TV channels, thus making consumers pay for everything in order to watch what they really wanted, was hugely profitable, but unsustainable in the face of the internet. The music industry learned this the hard way, when $25 CDs gave way to free (e.g., pirated) single-track MP3s, followed by streaming. The cable and satellite TV business is now being supplanted by streaming, which is less profitable. So how concerned should Hollywood be about all this? In Mayer's words, 'very, very concerned.' 'Not only is Hollywood becoming less and less relevant,' Mayer said, but 'the time that's spent is less profitable.' Mayer said there's been 'some alarm' over the profound secular challenge the entertainment industry is facing, 'but maybe not quite enough.' None of this means that young people aren't interested in movies or going to theaters. Recent examples suggest that when studios put out movies that are relevant to Gen Z's interests, and market them effectively, they can create massive returns. This past weekend's box office smash, 'A Minecraft Movie' from Warner Bros. and Legendary, showed how harnessing youth culture — in this case, video game intellectual property — can pay off in a big way. The film, starring Jason Momoa and Jack Black, grossed $163 million in the U.S. and Canada during its opening weekend, more than double what most analysts were expecting. Families were a big part of the weekend bonanza. More than half of tickets were sold to families going together and 26% of moviegoers were under 13, according to data firm EntTelligence. But Gen Z audiences, many of whom grew up with Minecraft, were an important segment too. About 31% of attendees were 13 to 25 years old, EntTelligence said. Tapping into the enthusiasm of the game's fans delivered a huge win, as it did for Universal and Blumhouse with 2023's 'Five Nights at Freddy's.' So there are still ways to entice young people to the movies and other traditional forms of entertainment. There are Gen Zers who love to pack repertory screenings, storm Letterboxd with their film diaries and test the limits of their AMC Stubs A-List subscriptions. When they get behind something, it can go viral. But the entertainment industry needs to figure out more smart ways to make good movies and TV shows that are relevant to young people today, and market them strategically. If you ask Mayer or his old boss, Iger, for the best way to keep the business healthy, they'll say it's to focus on quality. In other words, Hollywood needs to give Gen Z something to talk about. 'It was just a free-for-all': What happened to Kanye West's Donda Academy? Lawsuits and interviews The Times conducted provide a fresh glimpse into the extraordinary dysfunction inside Donda and the erratic behavior of its controversial founder that led to its unraveling. Broadcast television is in trouble. Stations are asking Washington for help. As the audience moves to streaming, TV station groups are lobbying to have longstanding ownership caps lifted so they can better compete with tech firms. Sequels, Beatles and embattled studios: What we saw at CinemaCon 2025. Coming off a tough first quarter at the box office, studios showed off their best films, and in some cases, star-studded casts, at the annual CinemaCon trade show in Las Vegas. Disney plans to vacate storied Fox lot in Century City by year's end. Disney's lease for space on Fox's Pico Boulevard compound in Los Angeles expires next March. The company has no plans to renew its lease and plans to vacate by year's end, Disney insiders said. Steve Kornacki exits MSNBC for new deal with NBC News and NBC Sports. The khaki-wearing data analyst's new deal allows him to pursue projects on other networks and media platforms, as long as they are unrelated to politics and sports. With studio chiefs in the hot seat, Warner Bros. bets on an ambitious film lineup. Warner Bros. film studio has seen a string of box office disappointments, including 'Mickey 17' and 'The Alto Knights.' Will its ambitious slate, including 'A Minecraft Movie,' turn around its prospects? Top movie theater lobbyist calls for a minimum of 45 days before films hit streaming. Cinema United trade group Chief Executive Michael O'Leary called on studios to extend most films to a 45-day theatrical window before home video and streaming, arguing that a baseline is needed to give moviegoers clearer expectations. ICYMI: There's plenty of stock market chaos right now. But my number of the week is whatever Newsmax is worth today. The MAGA-friendly cable news network went on a wild ride on Wall Street last week, and that's saying something at a time when the stock market was in a spiral because of Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs. Following its initial public offering, Newsmax's stock soared from $10 a share to as high as $279, briefly valuing the company at more than $20 billion. That's a remarkable valuation for a company that lost $55 million in the first half of 2024 on revenues of $80 million, according to regulatory documents. As my colleague Stephen Battaglio wrote, the company clearly benefited from the enthusiastic support of Trump fans as the network promoted the stock on its airwaves. Anyway, the high didn't last. The shares closed Wednesday at $52.52, down 80% from their intraday peak last Tuesday. On Monday, the stock closed at $47.12. 'The White Lotus' gave HBO a viewership boost Sunday night. The third season finale of Mike White's acclaimed and hotly debated satirical drama drew 6.2 million U.S. viewers on HBO and streamer Max, up 30% from the previous week, according to Warner Bros. Discovery. Viewership for the episode was up 51% from the Season 2 finale. Next up for HBO is Season 2 of 'The Last of Us.' The latest local on-location movie, TV and commercial shoot data from FilmLA. Listen: San Francisco's shoegaze-y metalheads Deafheaven have a huge new album out, 'Lonely People With Power.'
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Exclusive-Blackstone evaluates options for Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine, sources say
By Dawn Chmielewski and Amy-Jo Crowley (Reuters) - Blackstone is exploring options for Hello Sunshine, one of the best-known assets in the portfolio of its Hollywood media company, Candle Media, including the possibility of combining it with another company, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters. Candle Media's acquisition of Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine, the female-focused entertainment company behind Apple TV+'s 'The Morning Show' and Amazon's "Daisy Jones & the Six," catapulted the fledgling media company to prominence in 2021. As with other independent production companies, Hello Sunshine has struggled as video streaming services cut spending and the Hollywood strikes froze production, three of the people said. Its diversified business, which includes an in-house social agency called Solar, that connects brands to women through storytelling, an annual Shine Away event and Reese's Book Club, helped it remain profitable despite the recent entertainment industry turmoil, a fourth person said. Blackstone and Candle Media executives are considering options that would give Hello Sunshine greater scope and scale, such as combining it with another studio, according to the four people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions are private. These sources caution that Blackstone is not actively soliciting offers, though one of the sources added that in a period of media consolidation, "every single independent studio is looking to pick a dance partner." "While we don't comment on deal speculation, we regularly explore strategic opportunities to drive growth, maximize value, and remain adaptable in a rapidly evolving industry," a spokesperson for Candle Media said. RTL Group, Europe's largest broadcaster, is exploring options for its Fremantle production unit, including a merger, given a broader cutback in TV commissioning across the industry, Reuters previously reported. British broadcaster ITV has also been holding early-stage talks with Abu Dhabi-backed group RedBird IMI about a possible merger of their respective studio businesses. The private equity firm that backed Candle Media's high-profile acquisitions -- including its $900-million deal for Hello Sunshine -- recently conducted a strategic review of all of the Candle Media businesses, the people said. Blackstone decided to sell Candle Media's ATTN, a media company best known for topical short-form videos targeting Gen-Z and millennials, following inquiries from prospective buyers, two of the sources said. PORTFOLIO COMPANY Candle Media's structure as a portfolio company -- as opposed to a business engaged in financing Hollywood production slates -- allows for this flexibility should an interested buyer emerge, said one of the four sources with knowledge of the strategy. Hello Sunshine and ATTN were among a series of acquisitions Candle Media struck as it sought to capitalize on the seemingly insatiable content needs of fast-growing streaming services. It acquired Moonbug, the company whose children's entertainment brands also include CoComelon and Little Baby Bum, for around $3 billion. It also snapped up Faraway Road, the producer of the Netflix show 'Fauda,' and took a minority stake in Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's production company, Westbrook. Wall Street's enthusiasm for the streaming business cooled in April 2022, when Netflix reported its first loss of subscribers in a decade. Suddenly, investors began to question the billions of dollars media companies were spending on content, in their money-losing pursuit of subscribers. This bottom-line focus took a toll on independent studios like Candle Media. The effect was compounded, in mid-2023, by Hollywood's dual writers' and actors' strikes, which halted production for six months. Candle Media responded to streaming's newfound frugality by announcing it was cutting costs and reorganizing the company last July into two divisions: the live-action Candle Studios that is run by Hello Sunshine chief Sarah Harden, and children's entertainment group, Moonbug Kids. London-based Moonbug is profitable, generating revenue from its 270.5 million YouTube subscribers, distribution deals from video streaming services Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+, and proceeds from the Spotify music service, two of the sources said. Annual revenue approaches several hundred million dollars, they said. Hello Sunshine has been a prolific producer of film, television, scripted and reality series. But it has been caught up in the budgetary pressures, longer sales cycles and shifting schedules that have become commonplace in Hollywood after the 2023 strikes, the people said. It is expected to release nine projects this year, including Amazon's wedding comedy "You're Cordially Invited," starring Witherspoon and Will Ferrell, with another nine entering production, the fourth person said.
