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Sony Takes Equity Stake in Genius Brands

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment takes an equity stake in the children’s global media company, expanding its distribution agreement to include the worldwide home entertainment marketing and distribution of the Genius catalog of brands.

CULVER CITY, CA -- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Genius Brands International have expanded SPHE’s recent home entertainment distribution agreement to include the worldwide home entertainment marketing and distribution of Genius Brands’ Kid Genius and Baby Genius labels of all Genius Brands’ properties. In addition to the broader global distribution agreement, SPHE has taken an equity stake in Genius Brands.

SPHE and Genius Brands previously announced a multi-year agreement in which SPHE will market and distribute Genius Brands’ Kid Genius and Baby Genius labels throughout North America. 

“The global distribution deal between Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Genius Brands provides a myriad of growth opportunities for both companies and coordinated global marketing for each of our brands as well as for our rapidly growing Kid Genius and Baby Genius channels” said Andy Heyward, Chairman and CEO of Genius Brands. “We look forward to working with SPHE to source, develop and produce valuable commercial children’s ‘content with a purpose’ for global audiences.”

“Genius Brands offers an incredible value to the worldwide marketplace in providing content with a purpose to children and family audiences around the globe.  We are pleased to bring our global capabilities to this expanded relationship with Genius,” said Bill Stellman, SPHE’s Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Supply Chain.

Among Genius Brands’ properties encompassed in the agreement are the all-new music and fashion-driven brand for tween girls, SpacePOP, which debuted at retail in Q4 2016; the new original Baby Genius series re-launched in conjunction with the brand’s 2016 expansion; Warren Buffett’s Secret Millionaire’s Club animated series accessible on-air, online and at retail; and Stan Lee's Cosmic Crusaders.

Source: Genius Brands International