UK children’s channel Pop has acquired Team Jay, a digital-first animated series produced by Serie A football club Juventus in Italy. The deal is the latest in a line of traditional TV channels and streamers snapping up YouTube-originated content.
The series originally launched on the YouTube channel TeamJaybyJuventus and centres on the adventures of the team mascot Jay the Zebra and his friends.
Francesca Newington, director of kids’ channels at Narrative Entertainment, the company behind Pop, said the company is “committed to sourcing entertaining, kids-safe content from all corners – including digital first IP. This acquisition is a perfect example of our combined digital and linear approach.”
The most high-profile example of a kids shows crossing over from YouTube to traditional TV is Moonbug Entertainment’s Cocomelon. However UK streamer ITVX has also just secured a YouTube animation property called The Guava Juice Show. Elsewhere, creative studio Toikido and kids’ entertainment specialist Cake are developing and co-produce a TV-friendly version of YouTube hit PeaKeeBoo.
The shift in the balance of power in kids content reflects the migration in young audiences to social platforms – reported on The Drop earlier this week.
