Canada’s WildBrain has entered into a partnership with Samsung to launch multiple new kids’ and teen channels featuring series from its content library on Samsung TV Plus, a free ad-supported video service distributed exclusively on Samsung smart TVs.
The first new linear channels have now available to millions of Samsung users in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. These will be followed in spring and summer 2021 by channels for teens in the US and Canada, plus additional kids’ channels across European territories.
The partnership with Samsung represents the first time WildBrain has launched ad-supported linear channels on a connected TV service in Europe and comes as new research shows smart TVs and ad-supported video streaming have become favourite viewing options in both US and European homes.
The recent nScreenMedia report “Making Screen Time Family Time”, which was sponsored by WildBrain’s premium, kid-safe AVOD network, WildBrain Spark, found that 62% of 3,000 US parents surveyed choose smart TVs as the most popular devices for co-viewing with children in the home. Seventy-five percent (75%) watch content with their children several times a week or more, and 90% said ad-supported video is an important entertainment source for their children.
Meanwhile, Samsung’s “Behind the Screens” report on accelerating viewership trends found that ad-supported VOD consumption grew by 29% since January 2020 across over 30 million Samsung smart TVs in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. Samsung is the leader in global smart TV sales, with over 14 million units sold in Q3 2020, almost double their nearest competitor, according to market research firm Trendforce.
Commenting on the partnership, Deirdre Brennan, EVP, Content Partnerships at WildBrain, said: “All indicators show that connected TVs are the new choice for home viewing and that families are increasingly turning to ad-supported video services on this platform as a source of quality entertainment.
“Through this exciting partnership with Samsung TV Plus we will offer distinct channels that draw on WildBrain’s deep content library, allowing us to share iconic shows like Teletubbies, Caillou, Strawberry Shortcake and Degrassi with millions of families across North America and Europe”.
