Kids

Animation sees an uptick despite expensive production

Published

8 years ago

February 22, 2018

MUMBAI: When it comes to popular content on TV in India, general entertainment channels (GEC) lead the way. Primetime shows are most watched, most-earning and most talked about since the early years of the saas-bahu serials.

Animation as a genre is sidelined to the kids’ channels but producing it involves tons of cash, which may not necessarily be recoverable so easily. At first, India was content with syndicated content like Tom & Jerry, Mickey Mouse, etc and only in 2008 did we get our most pride-worthy IP Chhota Bheem.

A media professional quoted the price for producing 2D or 3D animated content to be Rs 10-20 lakh or above for one 11-22 minute show. Initial episodes entail an even higher spend at Rs 20 lakh. The cost depends on the number of characters, background, etc. Another professional estimated it to be between Rs 30-50 lakh for shows that top the chart. If we produce it with the intent of selling it to the overseas market, the investment could skyrocket to Rs 1 crore. Compare these staggering numbers with just Rs 7-8 lakh needed for a single GEC episode.

Green Gold Animation chief strategy officer Srinivas Chilakapudi said that GECs will raise the cost depending on the quality they wish to achieve. With Netflix and Amazon bringing in high value content, TV channels will be compelled to add visually appealing elements as well. He says that the case is similar with animation.

It took a while for producers to realise that owning IPs was more profitable than syndicating animation content. However, Green Gold has a balance of local and syndicated shows. By playing shows at different times and watching where the ratings come from, the production house does its budgeting. Older shows like Luv Kush or Arjun are syndicated at a lower price.

GEC ad rates are four times that of kids’ channels due to the viewership they command. Brand-building founder Ambi Parameswaran says, “It will be a much lower cost per thousand to reach kids through channels focussed on them. Obviously, GECs have huge barriers to entry and while they may deliver good number of kids, you are also reaching homes without kids.”

He says that as the penetration of TV grows, there will be a growth of sub genres like kids, sports, religion, travel etc. There has also been a growth of Indian language niche channels that will further lead fragmentation of audiences. “Surprisingly multiple TV homes are still a rarity. I expect this to change in the next five years. From the current low level of multiple TV homes (less than 5 per cent) we can expect this to go beyond 15 per cent in the coming decade,” says Parameswaran.

Viacom18 kids entertainment head content Anu Sikka says that kids love animation as it allows them to step into an imaginary world with their favourite characters. “Kids love stepping into Furfurinagar with Motu Patlu or riding a cycle in Vedas city with Shiva. Also, the repeat value of animation content is high, which increases the shelf value of the show. This, in turn, allows broadcasters to produce hours of original content that can be played on the channel for years bringing in a great success thereby reducing the cost average.”

She further added that connect of an original Indian show with Indian characters is higher given that there is better connect and relatability to the environment. “Also creating content locally and owning the IP’s gives us more control over the creative of the show, which then can incorporate the local sensibilities thus making the show more endearing to the audience.” She added that the turn-around time for local show is much faster compared to international shows, which is the need of the hour, especially in India, as today kids are always looking for refreshed and newer content. Today, there’s a dearth of international shows, which has a strong universal appeal and which can match the success of some of the earlier acquisitions like Ninja Hattori or Oggy and the Cockroaches. “If we own the IP, it opens up more streams of revenue for the broadcaster, especially in CP, digital platforms, licence products, etc.”

In an earlier interview, Shemaroo Entertainment head-animation business Smita Maroo and Green Gold Animation VP-content sales Bharath Laxmipati agreed that anything that is made for the own territory is far more expensive than syndicated content.

Sikka also agrees with Maroo and says that today there’s a strong potential as the content is being viewed on multiple platforms world over in various languages. “If the content and the characters are universal enough, the potential of them being acceptable in the international market goes up substantially.” She said that an Indian show, Pakdam Pakdai was renamed as Rat-a-Tat and was sold to 30 territories worldwide, the concept was developed by Nick and executed by Toonz animation.

Vaibhav More Films founder Vaibhav More takes a different view. He said that GECs are expensive than animation production. “In GECs the actors are charged high. Not only this, the equipment costs, editing, post-production activities, etc are also taken into consideration.” He feels that some stories live longer via animation.

When asked about the ways you keep the production cost low, Sikka said that today it’s increasingly becoming difficult to keep down the cost of animation series in India as there’s been a surge in demand for local animation content in India. This requirement for local content is coming not just from the broadcasters, but also from digital platforms as kids are consuming content from all these mediums. “There’s also a shortage of big animation studios which can deliver the product from scratch to the end while maintaining a certain benchmark in terms of quality,” she says. She further added that one way to control the cost is by commissioning and committing to a certain number of episodes, which allows the studios to re-use the assets which in turn keeps the cost in control. “The other option that can always be explored is to go with 2D animation, which is cheaper in comparison to 3D show, provided the concept allows you to do so.”

Though animation is a more intense and cost-expensive content, broadcasters and creators see potential in it, especially with the growth of digital and the global reach that popular ideas are likely to get.

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Kids

Om Nom bites into India as Warner Bros. Discovery picks up the series

Published

1 month ago

January 20, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: The little green hero is making a big leap east. Zeptolab has struck a major distribution deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, bringing its hit animated series Om Nom Stories to audiences across the Indian subcontinent.

Under the agreement, Warner Bros. Discovery has acquired the series for exclusive Pay TV broadcast and non-exclusive digital streaming in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The move marks a significant expansion for Zeptolab as it pushes one of its most successful original IPs into one of the world’s fastest-growing entertainment markets.

As part of the deal, all 26 seasons of Om Nom Stories will be rolled out across Cartoon Network, Pogo, Discovery Kids and Discovery+, offering both linear and digital access to the franchise’s slapstick humour and expressive, dialogue-free storytelling.

“We’re incredibly excited to partner with Warner Bros. Discovery to bring Om Nom Stories to the Indian subcontinent,” said Zeptolab executive producer Manaf Hassan, noting that the broadcaster’s reach and legacy make it a strong fit for the series’ growing global fanbase.

Warner Bros. Discovery, meanwhile, sees the acquisition as a natural addition to its children’s portfolio. Warner Bros. Discovery head of factual entertainment, lifestyle and kids for South Asia Sai Abishek, said the series aligns with the network’s focus on cheerful, imaginative and universally appealing content for families across the region.

The timing adds an extra layer of significance. The expansion coincides with Om Nom’s 15th anniversary, underlining the franchise’s staying power and its evolution from a mobile game character into a global animation brand. With this latest bite at the Indian subcontinent, Om Nom’s adventures look set to find a whole new generation of fans.

Kids

Colour outside the lines Chhota Bheem sketches a new play with Faber Castell

Published

2 months ago

January 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: If childhood memories had a colour palette, Chhota Bheem would likely be right in the middle of it and now, quite literally, in children’s pencil boxes too. Green Gold Animation has announced a landmark licensing partnership with Faber-Castell India, marking the global stationery major’s first-ever licensed character collaboration. The association brings Chhota Bheem to a specially curated range of student art and creative products, blending everyday learning tools with one of India’s most recognisable homegrown characters.

The move is a notable expansion of Chhota Bheem’s footprint beyond screens, reinforcing the character’s status as a multi-generational IP that has steadily grown from a television favourite into a cultural constant. For Green Gold Animation, the partnership signals a sharpened focus on extending its intellectual property into daily touchpoints, where entertainment meets education and habit.

In its first phase, the collaboration will roll out Chhota Bheem-themed products across key student art categories, including watercolour cakes, wax crayons, poster colours, sketch pens, oil pastels and creative bundling kits. The range is aimed squarely at school-going children, tapping into Bheem’s strong emotional connect while encouraging imagination, creativity and hands-on expression.

Green Gold Animation founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka noted that Chhota Bheem’s journey has long moved beyond episodic storytelling. He said the partnership reflects a deliberate attempt to embed the character into moments of learning and creativity, while building a more purpose-led licensing ecosystem around Indian IP through collaboration with a globally established brand.

From Faber-Castell India’s perspective, the tie-up marks a strategic first. Faber-Castell India director marketing Sonali Shah said the collaboration opens a new chapter by pairing the brand’s long-standing reputation for quality and safety with a character that already commands trust and affection among Indian children. The aim, she added, is to make creativity more engaging and relatable without diluting product standards.

The launch will be backed by a 360-degree promotional push, spanning digital campaigns, social media storytelling, creative usage content and on-ground retail activations across select markets. Both companies have confirmed that this is only the starting point, with additional Chhota Bheem-themed products across new categories planned in the months ahead.

Headquartered in Hyderabad, Green Gold Animation continues to scale its ambition of building globally competitive Indian IPs, with Chhota Bheem leading the charge. This latest collaboration suggests that the brand’s next phase of growth may be less about what children watch and more about what they create.

Kids

Sony tightens grip on Peanuts with $457 million stake buy

Published

2 months ago

December 22, 2025

indiantelevision.com Team

JAPAN: Sony has doubled down on the power of legacy brands, snapping up a majority stake in the Peanuts intellectual property in a late-year deal valued at about $457 million.

Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment Japan have acquired the roughly 41 per cent holding in Peanuts Holdings LLC previously owned by Canadian children’s entertainment company WildBrain. The move lifts Sony’s ownership to 80 per cent, with the Schulz family retaining the remaining 20 per cent.

The deal brings one of pop culture’s most durable franchises, home to Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang, firmly under the Sony umbrella. The characters were created by Charles M Schulz, whose daily comic strip ran for half a century before ending in 2000.

Sony had already been a long-time partner in the business. The latest transaction consolidates control and sharpens the group’s hand as it looks to keep the characters front and centre across film, television, music and consumer products.

President and group ceo of Sony Music Entertainment Japan, Shunsuke Muramatsu, said the additional stake would allow Sony to further elevate the Peanuts brand by drawing on the group’s global reach and creative expertise, while preserving the legacy of Schulz and his family.

President and ceo of Sony Pictures, Ravi Ahuja, said the combined ownership gives Sony the ability to protect and shape the future of the characters for new generations, expanding their relevance without diluting their charm.

Peanuts long ago escaped the confines of the comic strip, cementing its place in popular culture through perennial television specials such as A Charlie Brown Christmas and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. More recently, WildBrain kept the franchise active with animated series including Snoopy in Space and The Snoopy Show.

Now, with Sony firmly in control, the message is unmistakable. In an industry obsessed with the next big thing, nostalgia still sells and Sony is betting big on a doghouse that refuses to age.