NETFLIX ACQUIRES THE CRITICALLY AND FAN-ACCLAIMED STORYBOTS PROPERTY AND COMMITS TO BRINGING EDUCATIONAL CONTENT TO KIDS AND FAMILIES AROUND THE WORLD
Co-Creators Evan and Gregg Spiridellis Sign Overall Deal
to Significantly Expand the World of the StoryBots
Hollywood, Calif. - May 9, 2019 - Netflix today announced that it has acquired the StoryBots property, the Emmy, Annie, and Parents' Choice Award-winning children's media brand created by Gregg and Evan Spiridellis. The brothers have entered into an overall deal with Netflix to significantly expand the universe of the beloved StoryBots, building on the characters that kids across the globe now know and love. The acquisition is a sign of Netflix's commitment to bring educational content to its growing member base of kids and families around the world.
Ask The StoryBots is a Netflix original animated series that has continued to find new families to entertain and educate, with an audience that has grown significantly year over year since it first started streaming in 2016. The series makes innovative use of multiple formats, including 3D, 2D, claymation, stop motion, and even live action. By engaging guest stars such as Snoop Dogg, Edward Norton, Whoopi Goldberg, and Wanda Sykes, Ask The StoryBots takes kids on a fantastic journey that makes learning fun as they seek answers to burning questions like, "Why is the sky blue?" and "How does night happen?"
"Ask The StoryBots has a proven track record of synthesizing complex subjects into bite-sized lessons that are funny and entertaining for young kids and satisfying for parents," said vice president of original animation, Melissa Cobb. "We are thrilled to welcome Gregg and Evan into the Netflix family and look forward to building out the wonderful and whimsical StoryBots world, finding new ways to delight our growing member base of families around the world."
"Together with Netflix, our goal is to make StoryBots the leading educational entertainment brand for connected kids and families globally," said StoryBots co-founders Evan and Gregg Spiridellis. "We want kids from Argentina to Zambia growing up laughing and learning with StoryBots that feel native to their culture. We see this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring something epically good into the world."
Season three of Ask The StoryBots launches on Netflix this Fall. Together, Netflix and the Spiridellis brothers will produce more StoryBots original programming - like series and short form specials - while also expanding the brand into new areas. They will engage creative teams, subject matter experts, and educational consultants to help ensure that the educational content they are producing for StoryBots is relevant around the world. This first-of-its-kind acquisition signal's Netflix's commitment to educational programming for preschoolers, and the company has plans for a number of additional upcoming titles that have yet to be announced.
About The Spiridellis Brothers
The Spiridellis brothers founded JibJab Media Inc. in a garage in Brooklyn in 1999. Since then, they have been among the most prolific and innovative hitmakers of the Internet age. In 2004, their election parody This Land blazed a trail as one of the first-ever global viral video hits, leading Peter Jennings to name them ABC News' People of the Year. Between 2008 and 2011, the brothers produced the interactive smash hit ElfYourself, innovating a personalized video format that has entertained and delighted hundreds of millions of people around the world. In 2012, the brothers launched StoryBots online, and then parlayed that success into a Netflix Original series Ask the StoryBots in 2016. Since then, Ask the StoryBots has garnered 17 Emmy nominations, five wins, and featured guest appearances from Snoop Dogg, Edward Norton, Whoopi Goldberg, Wanda Sykes, and others.
About StoryBots
StoryBots is the children's learning and entertainment brand behind the hit Emmy Award-winning Netflix Original series Ask The StoryBots. Available in 22 languages across 190 countries, the star-studded show follows a team of colorful creatures who live in the world inside our devices and help answer kids' biggest questions. The popular StoryBots learning music videos have been viewed online more than one billion times. With a fast-growing global fanbase, StoryBots aims to make learning fun for kids, parents and teachers around the world.
About Netflix
Netflix is the world's leading internet entertainment service with over 148 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries and feature films across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.
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