Feb 28, 2020

Startup acquiring and developing animated children's programming on Youtube

Moonbug was only founded in 2018, but already claims to be "one of the largest digital kids' intellectual property owners in the world." It's only grown a bit in size thanks to its acquisition of the South Korean animated series Alpo.

The Youtube show follows the exploits of commando robot-turned-nanny Alpo and the curious little boy he cares for, Baby Daniel. The channel has 2 million subscribers and 100 million monthly views.

Moonbug is leveraging its huge following to produce 26 episodes, each three and a half minutes long, for Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and of course Youtube. Twelve episodes have already been released, and the rest will be released later this year.

This is an overview of Moonbug's business. Headquartered in London and L.A., the company is in the business of acquiring "fun and safe content" for preschoolers and building these properties while creating spin-off shows, merchandise, and other brand extensions. The company's shows are available on all major streaming platforms, from Netflix to Hulu.

Moonbug's first acquisition was Little Baby Bum, a Youtube channel with nearly 23 billion views. Since then, the company has acquired about a dozen shows, including My Magic Pet Morphle (5 billion views) and Go Buster (355 million views). The company emphasizes its commitment to programs that teach "compassion, empathy, and resilience," and is looking to expand into Asia this year.

Alpo fits the bill. As the company puts it, "With its light-hearted dialogue, the program's relatable content helps children around the world develop an appreciation for nonverbal communication, such as body language and facial expressions, and promotes life skills such as friendship, consideration for others, and cooperation."

Amidst growing concerns about the relevance of children's content on Youtube, Moonbug represents one way to professionalize the field: it has successfully raised $145 million in funding and is led by former executives from Disney, Netflix, and Paramount, It is a viable business.