BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., July 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Following the recent news of Kartoon Channel’s continued profitability and paid subscriber growth trend in the U.S., Kartoon Studios’ (NYSE American: TOON) announces the further expansion of the service outside the U.S., with its launch on a leading provider of high-speed next generation broadband ("NGBB") and cable TV in Indonesia, Link Net (LINK.JK), reaching a potential audience of nearly 300 million in the world’s fourth most populous country.
A fully dedicated 24/7 Kartoon Channel is now available in English through Link Net, offering a diverse mix of high quality children’s series and movies, including Kartoon Studios’ originals Shaq’s Garage, starring NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, Llama Llama, starring the voice talent of Jennifer Garner, Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rainbow Rangers, Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab, and live-action gaming competition series Kidaverse Roblox Rumble, as well as licensed classic hit content and characters such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Mario Bros., Paddington Bear, Gigantosaurus, Zorro The Chronicles, Inspector Gadget, and Yu-Gi-Oh. Kartoon Channel also features daily family movies and special theme days every month.
Andy Heyward, Chairman & CEO of Kartoon Studios commented: “When I first met Paul Robinson, he was Managing Director of Disney Channel Worldwide and was responsible for its global build-out to become the most important children platform in the world. Now, as global head of distribution for Kartoon Studios, that is precisely what Paul is working on today. His growing success with Kartoon Channel Worldwide now adds to the profitability and growth of Kartoon Channel in the U.S., as Kartoon Channel Worldwide positions itself to be the standard of quality and safety for children everywhere. With that said, we are thrilled to announce our ongoing expansion of Kartoon Channel in leading and emerging markets around the world with the latest launch in the Indonesian market on Link Net. This most recent platform debut in Southeast Asia is a strategic move that offers significant growth potential and value for our company and stakeholders, providing us with access to a vast audience of young viewers in one of the largest populations in the world. Indonesia’s growing middle class and increasing internet penetration support a strong demand for quality entertainment and we are excited to offer just that.”
Heyward adds: “Expanding into Indonesia increases and diversifies our revenue streams, reducing reliance on existing markets, and this geographical diversification strengthens our financial stability and opens up new avenues for growth for Kartoon Channel across the globe.”
Paul Robinson, President of Kartoon Channel Worldwide & Head of International Distribution stated: “We are thrilled to report that Kartoon Channel now reaches 57 countries around the world with fully dedicated channels, as well as branded programming blocks in many regions. Entering a new market in Indonesia with Link Net further enhances our global brand recognition and continues to build our reputation with media partners and audiences, as well as sets the stage for further expansions in the Asia-Pacific region. We are rapidly becoming the go-to destination for kids and families by offering family-friendly, safe content that not only entertains but provides value-driven entertainment. Kartoon Channel’s expansion into Indonesia is a pivotal step in our international growth strategy, and we are excited about the prospects this new market brings.”
Kartoon Studios announced last week that after four years of investment in content, infrastructure, and marketing, Kartoon Channel in the U.S. reached breakeven at the end of 2023 and became profitable in Q1 2024, with continuing growth month by month. Kartoon Channel ’s paid subscriber growth on Amazon Prime Video surged by 120%. from June 2023 – June 2024. Over the same time period, the platform achieved a 28% year-over-year growth in paid direct-to-consumer streaming subscribers across all its streaming services which include Apple iOS, Amazon Prime, Amazon Fire, Android TV, Android Mobile, Tubi, Roku, Pluto, Xumo, Comcast, Cox, Dish, Sling, Samsung, and LG Smart TVs.
About Kartoon Channel
Available everywhere and anywhere kids are today, Kartoon Studios’ Kartoon Channel is a family entertainment destination that delivers 1000s of episodes of carefully curated and safe family-friendly content. The channel features original content, including Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rainbow Rangers, and Shaq’s Garage, starring Shaquille O’Neal and Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski. Kartoon Channel also delivers animated classics for little kids, such as Peppa Pig Shorts, Mother Goose Club, Barney and Friends, Om Nom Stories, as well as content for bigger kids, like Angry Birds, Talking Tom & Friends and Yu-Gi-Oh!. Kartoon Channel also offers STEM-based content through its Kartoon Classroom, including Baby Genius and more, as well as a Spanish language collection on the platform, KC En Espanol.
Kartoon Channel is available across multiple platforms, including Apple iOS, Android Mobile, Web, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, Pluto TV, Comcast, Cox, Dish, Sling TV, Android TV, Tubi, Xumo, Samsung and LG Smart TVs.
Internationally, Kartoon Channel is currently available in key territories around the world, including India (Jio via Powerkids Entertainment), Africa and Sub-Sahara Africa (StarTimes), Australia and New Zealand (Samsung TV Plus), Germany (Waipu), Philippines (Tapp Digital), Mongolia (Mobinet Media), Malaysia (Astro), Indonesia (Link Net) and Maldives (Dhiraagu). Kartoon Channel Branded blocks are also currently available daily in 69 countries across the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Europe.
About Kartoon Studios
Kartoon Studios (NYSE AMERICAN: TOON) is a global end-to-end creator, producer, distributor, marketer, and licensor of entertainment brands. The Company’s IP portfolio includes original animated content, including the Stan Lee brand, “Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten,” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, on Kartoon Channel and Ameba; “Shaq’s Garage,” starring Shaquille O’Neal, on Kartoon Channel; “Rainbow Rangers” on Kartoon Channel and Ameba; the Netflix Original, “Llama Llama,” starring Jennifer Garner, and more.
In 2022, Kartoon Studios acquired Canada’s WOW! Unlimited Media, along with its subsidiary, Mainframe Studios, which is one of the most successful animation service houses in the world, producing top brands for 3rd parties, including “Cocomelon,” “Barbie’s Playhouse,” Unicorn Academy,” and “SuperKitties.” Additionally, the company made a strategic investment becoming the largest shareholder in Germany’s Your Family Entertainment AG (FRA:RTV), one of Europe’s leading distributors and broadcasters of high-quality programs for children and families.
Toon Media Networks, the Company’s wholly owned digital distribution network, consists of Kartoon Channel, Frederator Network, and Ameba. Kartoon Channel is a globally distributed entertainment platform with near full penetration of the U.S. market. Kartoon Channel and Ameba are available across multiple platforms, including iOS, Android Mobile, Web, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, Pluto TV, Comcast, Cox, Dish, Sling TV, Android TV, Tubi, Xumo, and Samsung and LG Smart TVs. Frederator Network owns and operates one of the largest global animation networks on YouTube, with channels featuring over 2,000 exclusive creators and influencers, garnering billions of views annually.
For additional information, please visit www.kartoonstudios.com.
About Link Net
Link Net is a leading provider of high-speed next generation broadband ("NGBB") and cable TV in Indonesia, serving the residential and enterprise markets across Greater Jakarta, Greater Surabaya and Bandung. Link Net commands a 98% market share of Indonesia's NGBB market and its technologically advanced Hybrid Fibre-Coaxial cable ("HFC") and DOCSIS 3.0 as well as FTTH network to provide high-speed internet access (up to 1 GBPS) and richly differentiated TV content with the largest HD channels available.
Link Net's strong growth trajectory is anchored in our technologically superior network, innovative product offering and capability in growing homes passed consistently every year, reaching 2.8 million homes in first half of 2021. Focusing on Indonesia's large and fast growing affluent middle class, Link Net's market leading position enables successful execution of our strategies to drive future growth.
On 2 June 2014, Link Net was successfully listed on IDX under the ticker "LINK".
Forward Looking Statements: Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements include statements such as reaching a potential audience of nearly 300 million in Indonesia, the ongoing expansion of Kartoon Channel! in leading and emerging markets around the world, the platform debut in Southeast Asia offering significant potential growth and value for the Company and stakeholders, Indonesia’s growing middle class and increasing internet penetration supporting a strong demand for quality entertainment, anticipating a substantial increase in subscription revenues and ad sales, expanding into Indonesia diversifying the Company’s revenue streams and reducing reliance on existing markets, the geographical diversification strengthening the Company’s financial stability and opening up new avenues for growth for Kartoon Channel! across the globe, entering a new market in Indonesia with Link Net further enhancing the Company’s global brand recognition and continuing to build its reputation with media partners and audiences, as well as setting the stage for further expansions in the Asia-Pacific region, rapidly becoming the go-to destination for kids and families by offering family-friendly, safe content that not only entertains but provides value-driven content and the prospects the Indonesia market brings. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward-looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, our ability to expand into Indonesia as planned and generate subscription revenues and ad sales; our ability to strengthen our financial stability and open up new avenues for growth for Kartoon Channel! across the globe; our ability to enhance our global brand recognition and continue to build our reputation with media partners and audiences; our ability to further expand in the Asia-Pacific region; our ability to become the go-to destination for kids and families by offering family-friendly, safe content that not only entertains but provides value-driven content; our ability to generate revenue or achieve profitability; our ability to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms, if at all; the potential issuance of a significant number of shares, which will dilute our equity holders; fluctuations in the results of our operations from period to period; general economic and financial conditions; our ability to anticipate changes in popular culture, media and movies, fashion and technology; competitive pressure from other distributors of content and within the retail market; our reliance on and relationships with third-party production and animation studios; our ability to market and advertise our products; our reliance on third-parties to promote our products; our ability to keep pace with technological advances; our ability to protect our intellectual property and those other risk factors set forth in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in the Company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Thus, actual results could be materially different. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. These statements and financial data contained herein are preliminary estimates and are based on the most current information available to management and are subject to completion of the financial closing procedures.
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