Media I.M. Incorporated Ltd, that specialises in premium animation and family entertainment, has closed another distribution deal with The Walt Disney Company EMEA for Sunny Bunnies (26 x 3.5 mins), taking the non-dialogue comedy for four- to seven-year-olds into a total of 156 countries.
Irina Nazarenko, co-founder of Media I.M. based in London, said: 'The Sunny Bunnies keep on surprising us — every time we think we've reached peak Bunny, they go one better. With this latest Disney deal, our little friends have literally conquered the world. Our next step is to migrate the Sunny Bunnies from screen to playground via a range of toys and books. The feedback from the YouTube channel is quite clear: kids don't just want to watch the Bunnies; they want to touch them, play with them and join them in real-world adventures.'
The Walt Disney Company EMEA has acquired
the second season of Digital Light Studio's Sunny Bunnies, following the lead of its sister channels in the US, South East Asia, CEEMEA (CEE, Middle East, Africa), Russia/CIS, Australia/New Zealand and Japan.
This latest Disney deal will see Sunny Bunnies on Disney Junior in the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and French-speaking Europe, Spain, Italy and Italian-speaking Europe, the Nordic, Baltic and Benelux territories, Portugal/PALOP, Ireland and Andorra.
The second season, which launched on the Sunny Bunnies YouTube channel in January 2017, features a new character — the Big Grey Wolf — who has come from the moon on a mission to kidnap the bunnies. The show's creator, Belarus' Digital Light Studio, intends to introduce more characters into the coming series. Media I.M. and Digital Light Studio also plan to launch a range of Sunny Bunnies merchandise and are currently seeking L&M partners in the toy and publishing sectors.
The Sunny Bunnies YouTube channel launched in April 2016, since then it has attracted over 123,000 subscribers and has already passed the mark of 74.5 million views. The channel, operated by WildBrain (DHX), features a range of Sunny Bunnies content, from full episodes to special compilations and character profiles.
The Sunny Bunnies are five beaming balls — Turbo, Iris, Big Boo, Hopper and Shiny — that can appear anywhere there is a source of light, from sunshine to moonlight. In each episode, the cheeky creatures bring their fun and games to a different location — a circus, a sports stadium, a park — embarking on mischievous adventures and spreading laughter and happiness. And at the end of every episode, the fun continues with a collection of bloopers.
Media I.M’s representation deal with Digital Light Studio has succeeded in making Sunny Bunnies the most successful Belarusian IP ever in terms of global reach. Under the deal, Media I.M. has the exclusive worldwide rights to the series outside of Russia and CIS and Republic of China, including both TV sales, and digital and VOD rights.
About Media I.M.
Media I.M. Incorporated Ltd, launched in April 2014 by former Viacom International Media Networks executives Maria Ufland and Irina Nazarenko, is an international content distribution company specialising in the sale of premium family entertainment and animation to both linear and non-linear platforms. The London-based operation has forged exclusive distribution agreements with several of Europe and Russia’s top animation producers, including Bionaut Films, Studio Atria, Da Animation Studio, Studio Nebo and Digital Light Studio.Media I.M. is active in pre-sales and identifying co-production and product licensing partners for its animation brands, which include Sunny Bunnies, Robodz, The Bubbles, Rosa and Dara and Their Great Adventures, and Flying Animals. The company’s boutique approach gives it the flexibility to develop 360-degree opportunities around each property to deliver maximum value to both producers and licensees.