Mediawan Kids & Family

Mediawan Kids & Family
Formerly
  • ON Entertainment (2014–2018)
  • ON Kids & Family (2018–2022)
Company typeDivision
IndustryAnimation
FoundedJanuary 16, 2014 (2014-01-16)
Founder
  • Aton Soumache
  • Dimitri Rassam
Headquarters
Paris
,
France
Key people
Julien Borde (president)
ParentMediawan (2018–present)
Divisions
  • Mediawan Kids & Family Cinema
  • Mediawan Kids & Family Distribution
  • Mediawan Kids & Family Licensing
Subsidiaries
Websitemediawankidsandfamily.com

Mediawan Kids & Family (formerly known as ON Entertainment and ON Kids & Family) is the children's production and distribution division of French media conglomerate Mediawan that produces & distributes premium children's and family content globally. It is a European leader in animation, creating premium TV shows, films, and digital content through several production labels mainly and partnerships. premium children's television series, digital content and feature films.

History

Mediawan Kids & Family was originally established as a film & television production company called ON Entertainment on January 16, 2014, when Aton Soumache decided to merge its animation production company Method Animation alongside its feature animation subsidiary Onyx Films (including its post-production & CGI feature studio Onyx Lux) with Dimitri Rassam's live-action film production outfit Chapter 2 to launch new leading film & television production group named ON Entertainment with the new company launching its focus on producing content as Method Animation including its feature film subsidiary Onyx Films and film production company Chapter 2 became labels of the new production and audiovisual group with the former became ON's animation label through the ON Kids & Family division with Method's feature film subsidiary Onyx Films moved from the former to become ON's animated feature film division alongside live-action film production house Chapter 2 which became ON's live-action film production label.[1][2][3]

In September 2016 one year before Mediawan's acquisition of ON Entertainment, ON Entertainment expanded its animation production operations into North America as the entertainment production company had established an in-house North American animation studio outside of France called ON Animation Studios Montréal. The new studio will based in Montréal, Canada and would increase ON's animated feature film production.[4][5]

Acquisition by Mediawan

In December 2017, Mediawan announced they were in exclusive talks to acquiring a majority stake of Paris-based entertainment & animation production group ON Entertainment who owns live-action film production house Chapter 2 and its animation label Method Animation under the ON Kids & Family division alongside their feature film division ON Animation Studios, their post-production & CGI feature studio Onyx Lux and their Montreal-based feature animation production studio for about €50 million in order for them to enter the animation and feature film businesses.[6][7][8] Ayear later in June 2018, Mediawan completed its acquisition of a majority stake in ON Entertainment alongside its animation studios Method Animation and ON Animation Studios & the latter's live-action production unit Chapter 2, the acquisition marked Mediawan's first entry into the animation market and gave Mediawan their own animation studio. Following its completion of Mediawan's acquisition of ON Entertainment, Mediawan restructured its operations into four groups and rebranded ON Entertainment as their children's subsidiary renamed to ON Kids & Family after ON's division with Chapter 2 moved into Mediawan's feature film production division.[9]

In April 2019 one year after Mediawan brought Paris-based production group ON Entertainment in June 2018, Mediawan alongside its children's subsidiary ON Kids & Family formed a partnership with world-known French author and illustrator Joann Sfar to adapt his works into film and television with Mediawan and its subsidiary ON Kids & Family's acquisition of a majority stake in Joann Sfar's animation production company Nice Pictures, marking ON Kids & Family's first acquisition and placed it under the latter subsidiary & would undergo a major rebranding and a state of series and movies.[10][11]

In June 2020 following ON Kids & Family's acquisition of Joann Sfar's Paris-based production outfit Nice Pictures one year prior in June 2019 and whilst during the online Annecy Animation Film Festival, ON Kids & Family had rebranded its Paris-based production subsidiary Nice Pictures as their mini-studio, renaming it to Magical Society with Veteran animation producer, founder of Method Animation founder and ON Kids & Family co-founder Aton Soumache joining the rebranded production unit as renowned comic book artist & filmmaker Joann Sfar continued heading the rebranded production company with the release of its first movie based on Sfar's comic book series Little Vampire.[12]

Rebranding to Mediawan Kids & Family

In June 2022, Mediawan had brought all of their kids & family activities and ramping up their youth entertainment content by rebranding their subsidiary ON Kids & Family and reformatting it as a division through the Mediawan name rebranded it to Mediawan Kids & Family effectively retiring the ON name after seven years with their animation production labels Method Animation, Magical Society, ON Animation Studios and ON Classics being placed under the newly renamed division with the latter two retaining the ON name. Mediawan also announced that they had launched two new production labels which was traditional animation production studio Somewhere Animation and live-action studio Elliott Studio which would be part of the division, whilst the rebranded division Mediawan Kids & Family launched its own in-house distribution label called Mediawan Kids & Family Distribution which will handle distribution to all of their live action and animated programmes along with third-party programmes from outside studios.[13][14][15]

In February 2023 following the rebranding of Mediawan's production subsidiary-turned division ON Kids & Family to Mediawan Kids & Family, Mediawan Kids & Family entered the British film & television production operations as they had acquired a majority stake in Bristol-based British scripted and animation production company Wildseed Studios, making it Mediawan Kids & Family's first international acquisition with Wildseed Studios became a production label within Mediawan Kids & Family.[16] Two months later in April 2023, Mediawan Kids & Family alongside its parent Mediawan via its film production division Mediawan Pictures had brought Amsterdam-based Dutch independent film & television production company and animation production studio Submarine, marking Mediawan Kids & Family's second expansion this time into the Netherlands as Submarine became its Dutch production label under Mediawan Kids & Family.[17][18][19]

In February 2025, Mediawan Kids & Family had shuttered down its Montreal-based feature film ank Imation production subsidiary ON Animation Studios following the collapse of the entire Quebec animation industry effectively ending the ON name entirely after 11 years with Mediawan Kids & Family's feature film division Mediawan Kids & Family Cinema alongside parent Mediawan Kids & Family's fellow joint venture production company Miraculous Corp. taken over their animated film production activities in-house and will collaborate with partner studios around the world.[20][21]

In March 2025 when Mediawan Kids & Family's parent Mediawan merged with German production and distribution company Leonine Studios one year prior in April 2024, Mediawan Kids & Family enterted a stragic partnership with Toon2Tango the animation subsidiary of Mediawan-owned German production and distribution company Leonine Studios via its animation division Leonine Animation Studios to interrogate distribution of Toon2Tango's content portfolio and the German animation studio itself into Mediawan Kids & Family as Toon2Tango became Mediawan Kids & Family's German animation production studio and as a subsidiary while Mediawan Kids & Family's own distribution division Mediawan Kids & Family Distribution had assumed distribution to Toon2Tango'a programming catalouge with Toon2Tango's future productions will now be distributed under Mediawan Kids & Family distribution services.[22]

In January 2026, Mediawan Kids & Family partnered with educational kids brand & multi-platform channel StoryZoo & Friends with Mediawan Kids & Family had licensed two of its action-adventure brands which were the first season of Robin Hood: Mischief in Sherwood and two seasons of Power Players, produced by its animation production subsidiary Method Animation to the StoryZoo & Friends platform for the service's programming lineup.[23]

Production labels

Toon2Tango

Toon2Tango is a Munich-based German animation and kids & family production that is a subsidiary of Mediawan Kids & Family and also part of German production & distribution group Leonine Holding through its animation division Leonine Animation Studios. It was established in July 2019 by former Made 4 Entertainment (m4e) co-founder and Studio 100 Media CEO Hans Ulrich Stoef.

In December 2023 one year before the full acquisition of Toon2Tango's German film & television production & distirbution parent Leonine Studios by Mediawan Kids & Family's parent Mediawan, Leonine Studios who had held a 25% minority stake in Munich-based animation production & distribution unit Toon2Tango one year prior and had previously distributed or produced animated series & films had announced that they're launching their own in-house animation production studio division named Leonine Animation Studios GmbH and announcing that they've taken full control of Munich animation producer and distributor Toon2Tango and becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Leonine Animation Studios with Toon2Tango's founder and managing directors Hans Ulrich Stoef and Jo Daris helding Leonine's new animation production division and continued leading Toon2Tango through Leonine's animation division.[24][25]

In March 2025 when Mediawan Kids & Family's parent Mediawan merged with German production and distribution company Leonine Studios one year prior in April 2024, Mediawan Kids & Family enterted a stragic partnership with Toon2Tango the animation subsidiary of Mediawan-owned German production and distribution company Leonine Studios via its animation division Leonine Animation Studios to interrogate distribution of Toon2Tango's content portfolio and the German animation studio itself into Mediawan Kids & Family as Toon2Tango became Mediawan Kids & Family's German animation production studio and as a subsidiary while Mediawan Kids & Family's own distribution division Mediawan Kids & Family Distribution had assumed distribution to Toon2Tango'a programming catalouge with Toon2Tango's future productions will now be distributed under Mediawan Kids & Family distribution services.[22]

Filmography

Title Years Network Notes
Monster Loving Maniacs[26][27] 2023–present Super RTL
Nickelodeon Italy[28]
DR (Denmark)
SVT (Sweden)
NRK (Norway)
Ketnet (Belgium)[29]		 co-production with Mondo TV, Belvision, Ja Film and Ginger Pictures
Co-distributed with Mondo TV and Mediawan Kids & Family Distribution since 2025
Grisù[30] 2023–present Kika
Rai Yoyo & Rai Play (Italy)		 co-production with Mondo TV, Mondo TV France and ZDF Studios
Agent 203[31] 2024–present Super RTL
Rai Gulp[32] (Italy)		 co-production with Mondo TV, V House Animation and Cosmos Maya
Co-distributed with Mondo TV and Mediawan Kids & Family Distribution since 2025
Littlest Robot[33] TBA TBA co-production with Method Animation[22] and V House Animation
Eldrador[34] co-production with Method Animation[22] and Schleich

Wildseed Studios

Wildseed Studios is a British film and television production subsidiary of Mediawan Kids & Family based in Bristol that specializes in live-action and animated films and shows. It was founded in April 2013 when former Aardman Animations head of broadcast Miles Bullough stepped own at and former BBC creative executive Jesse Cleverly teamed up to launch a new British production studio to produce series for online platforms.[35]

On October 11, 2016, Wildseed Studios launched a new digital feature-length production studio called Wildseed Movies that would develop and produce microbuster feature films for online platforms with British film & television studio Pinewood Studios financially supporting Wildseed Studios' digital feature-length production division.[36]

Filmography

Title Years Network Notes
Counterfeit Cat 2016–2017 Disney XD
Teletoon (Canada)		 co-production with Tricon Kids & Family
PrankMe[37] 2017 Fullscreen
Dodo[38] 2021–present Sky Kids co-production with Cake Entertainment, Telegael, Toonz Media Group and Ingenious Media
The Last Bus[39] 2022 Netflix
Ama's Story[40] 2023 Sky Kids
The Magic Roundabout[41] TBA TBA
Collide-Oscope[41] TBA TBA
Tuff Pom[45] TBA CBBC[46]
France 4 (France)		 co-production with Method Animation

References

  1. ^ Hopewell, John; Keslassy, Elsa (January 16, 2014). "Soumache, Rassam Launch ON Entertainment". Variety. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  2. ^ Dickson, Jeremy (January 21, 2014). "Method, Onyx and Chapter 2 form On Entertainment". Kidscreen. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  3. ^ Wolfe, Jennier (January 21, 2014). "Method Animation, Onyx and Chapter 2 form On Entertainment". Animation World Network. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  4. ^ Milligan, Mercades (September 16, 2016). "ON Ent. Opens North American Studio in Montreal". Animation Magazine. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  5. ^ "ON Entertainment Opens North American Animation Studio in Montréal". Animation World Network. September 16, 2016. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  6. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (December 17, 2017). "Mediawan Closes In on Acquisition of Dimitri Rassam's ON Kids & Family". Variety. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  7. ^ Foster, Elizabeth (December 18, 2017). "Mediawan to acquire majority stake in ON kids & family". Kidscreen. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  8. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (December 18, 2017). "Content Platform Mediawan Eyes Buy of 'Little Prince' Studio ON". Animation Magazine. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  9. ^ "Mediawan Announces the Finalization of the Acquisition of ON Entertainment and Preparations for the Group's New Operational Organization". Business Wire. June 7, 2018. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  10. ^ "Group Mediawan: ON Kids & Family Partners with Joann Sfar in Order to Develop His Universes across All Screens". Business Wire. April 8, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  11. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (June 9, 2019). "On Entertainment Teams with Joann Sfar on 'Little Prince"s Live Action/CGI Mini-Movies (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
  12. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (June 15, 2020). "Aton Soumache, Joann Sfar Build Mini-Studio With Magical Society (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  13. ^ Brzoznowski, Kirstin (June 13, 2022). "Mediawan Forms Kids & Family Unit". Worldscreen. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  14. ^ Kaminska, Karolina (June 13, 2022). "France's Mediawan combines kids and family interests into single division". C21Media. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  15. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (June 2, 2022). "'Little Prince' Producer Mediawan Bows Youth Entertainment Division, Mediawan Kids & Family (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  16. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (February 7, 2023). "'The Last Bus' U.K. Producer Wildseed Studios Joins Mediawan Kids & Family in First International Acquisition (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  17. ^ Bharanidharan, Sadhana (April 17, 2023). "Mediawan buys a majority stake in Submarine". Kidscreen. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  18. ^ Roxborough, Scott (April 17, 2023). "Mediawan Buys Majority Stake in 'Undone' Producer Submarine". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  19. ^ Alexa, Laurén (April 18, 2023). "Mediawan Pictures Acquires 'Undone' Producer Submarine". Animation World Network. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  20. ^ Tuchow, Ryan (February 25, 2025). "ON Animation Studios is shutting down". Kidscreen.
  21. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (February 25, 2025). "Mediawan's Montreal 'Miraculous' & 'The Little Prince' Production Studio ON Animation Closes As Tax Credit Squeeze Bites". Deadline Hollywood.
  22. ^ a b c d Kaminska, Karolina (March 11, 2025). "Mediawan Kids & Family adds German studio Toon2Tango's shows to its sales catalogue". C21Media. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  23. ^ "StoryZoo & Friends expands Its kids slate through partnership with Mediawan Kids & Family". Señal News. January 27, 2026.
  24. ^ Goldbart, Max (December 18, 2023). "Leonine Launches Animation Division & Ups Stake In Toon2Tango". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  25. ^ Roxborough, Scott (December 18, 2023). "German Mini-Major Leonine Launches Animation Division With Toon2Tango Acquisition". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  26. ^ Tuchow, Ryan (November 27, 2020). "Deals of the Week: Mondo TV, Silvergate, APC Kids". Kidscreen.
  27. ^ "Mondo TV Joins Toon2Tango & Ja Film on 'Monster Loving Maniacs'". Animation Magazine. November 30, 2022.
  28. ^ "'Monster Loving Maniacs' Lands on Nickelodeon in Italy". Video Age International. September 23, 2024.
  29. ^ Tuchow, Ryan (January 22, 2014). "European broadcasters gobble up Monster Loving Maniacs". Kidscreen.
  30. ^ "ZDF, Toon2Tango fly with new series". Kidscreen. November 18, 2020.
  31. ^ "Toon2Tango announces SUPER RTL as commissioning broadcaster for its new CGI series Agent 203". Toon2Tango.
  32. ^ Kaminska, Karolina (April 17, 2003). "Italy's Rai Kids, Poland's TVP ABC among latest nets to pick up Agent 203". C21Media.
  33. ^ "Toon2Tango chosen as a finalist for MIPJUNIOR pitch". The European Animation Journal. October 17, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  34. ^ "Toon2Tango collaborates with toy company Schleich on ELDRADOR® CREATURES". Toon2Tango. January 24, 2025.
  35. ^ "Team — Wildseed Studios". Wildseed Studios.
  36. ^ Franks, Nico (October 11, 2016). "Wildseed launches new studio". C21Media.
  37. ^ Hipes, Patrick (June 1, 2017). "'Girl Meets World's Corey Fogelmanis To Topline Fullscreen Series 'PrankMe'". Deadline Hollywood.
  38. ^ Tuchow, Ryan (April 9, 2021). "Deals of the Week: NHK, Sky Kids, Planeta". Kidscreen. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  39. ^ "Netflix boards The Last Bus from Wildseed Studios". Televisual. August 11, 2020.
  40. ^ Alberge, Dalya (February 19, 2023). "Black British family wins commission to make show for Sky Kids". The Guardian. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  41. ^ a b Goodfellow, Melanie (June 10, 2025). "Mediawan Kids & Family Unveils 'The Magic Roundabout' Reboot & Paul Whitehouse's 'Collide-Oscope'; Digital First YouTube Shows 'Claynosaurz' & 'Wadoo' – Annecy". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  42. ^ Willsher, Kim (9 September 2022). "It's time for bed again: French team bring back The Magic Roundabout". The Guardian.
  43. ^ "The Magic Roundabout". Mediawan Kids & Family. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  44. ^ Franks, Nico (June 16, 2022). "Method Animation, Magic to bring back The Magic Roundabout". C21Media. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  45. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (June 19, 2024). "Mediawan Kids Announces 'Tales of Miruu,' 'Astroboy,' 'Tuff Pom' & More". Animation Magazine. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  46. ^ Campbell, Kambole (October 6, 2025). "Market Vision Quests: European Animation Execs Reflect on the State of the Industry & Fall Content Markets". Animation Magazine.
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