Online children’s entertainment platform BinWeevils has added 200 hours of content from Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon to its site to create “social video on demand”.
The line-up includes Cartoon Network shows Ben 10, Chowder, and The Secret Saturdays and from Viacom owned Nickelodeon I-Carly, Sponge-bob, The Fairly Odd Parents and True Jackson.
The subscription service will allow children, typically aged between seven and 12, communicate with an Avatar-based network as they view and comment on their favourite shows.
BinWeevils has also appointed Rod Henwood to its board. A former director of Channel 4, Henwood was behind the launch of Channel 4’s 4oD, a former CEO of Project Kangaroo he was also managing director of Fox Kids UK.
Speaking to Broadband TV News, Henwood said the introduction of VOD would make a significant differentiator, which would further extend the site’s user engagement. On average, users spend half an hour on the site, which according to Henwood was almost twice that of its competitors like Disney’s Club Penguin. “We’ve developed a formula that allows kids to engage with a series of characters within a self contained world that is colourful and enchanting.”
Henwood said the site was more than a VOD portal for kids, which was able to combine a child’s need for entertainment with that for networking. “What we don’t want to do is present this as another social VOD service with a series of back to back shows presented in a catalogue. We want people to continue with an immersive journey through the site, socialising with their friends, playing games and as part of that experience when they want to relax in the VOD cinema they can do that too.”
Not ruling out the possibility of extending the brand to TV and mobile platforms, Henwood said international development was also under consideration, including a US launch that could be ready in short order.
