Age of The Nerd
Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) today announced a new slate of 22 animated and live-action TV programs based on the company’s iconic and globally-recognized characters and franchises. The new programs in development are created by Mattel Television for multi-platform distribution and are based on more than 20 properties in Mattel’s rich IP portfolio. This innovative slate of high-quality episodic content for multi-platform distribution will encompass a broad range of genres, including action adventure, humor, game shows, music and more, and are designed to reach a range of demographics including toddlers and preschool, boys, girls, tweens, teens and families.
Ynon Kreiz, Chairman and CEO of Mattel, said: “With the proliferation of broadcasting and streaming platforms, there is a growing demand for high-quality content driven by global brands. Mattel is the owner of one of the strongest portfolios of children’s and family entertainment franchises in the world. We have countless opportunities to bring these brands to their fans through episodic programming that will capture the imaginations of kids and families worldwide. This marks another important step to capture the full value of our assets as we drive our transformation to become an IP-driven, high-performing toy company.”
Mattel Television is led by Adam Bonnett, a 21-year Disney Channel veteran behind Hannah Montana, Descendants, Kim Possible and other Emmy® Award-winning children’s shows, who recently joined Mattel as Executive Producer.
Mr. Bonnett will work with Christopher Keenan, Senior Vice President and Executive Producer at Mattel Television, an Emmy® Award-winning industry veteran. Mr. Keenan has been responsible for animated content development and production of short and long-form episodic television for Barbie, Thomas & Friends, American Girl, Monster High, Bob the Builder, Fisher-Price’s Little People and many other properties within the Mattel portfolio.
Mattel Television will work in partnership with Mattel’s Franchise Management division, in particular, Global Content Distribution led by Fred Soulie, Senior Vice President, Content Distribution and Business Development. Mr. Soulie, a seven-year Saban veteran, will oversee Mattel’s approach to strategic distribution of the slate globally, across all platforms and geographies.
