Kids

‘Pokemon’ resonates with Hungama’s audiences: Vijay Subramaniam

Published

11 years ago

November 26, 2014

MUMBAI: Fun, adventure, friendship, sportsmanship, are all part and parcel of childhood. Bringing a smile on kids’ faces is none other than a series called Pokemon which follows the quest of the main character, Ash Ketchum (known as Satoshi in Japan) a Pokemon master in training, as he and a small group of friends travel around the fictitious world of Pokemon along with their Pokemon partners.

The anime has been running successfully since its debut on Hungama with Pokemon: Indigo League in May 2014 with a new Hindi dub cast. Since its premiere, targeted at the age group of 4-14 years old, it has been consistently ranked on top among kids’ preference.

There are several reasons to it, according to Disney India media networks content and communications VP Vijay Subramaniam, who states that the premise of Hungama has always been to represent the spirit of kids in an unapologetic and unrelenting manner. “Hungama has always delivered on this promise and all our efforts were primarily to consolidate ourselves and deliver a certain style of narrative in the kids’ space.”

The handpicked characters like Ninja Warrior, Doremon or now Pokemon have been a success on the channel because of the interesting narrative, states Subramaniam.

In terms of popularity, the show in its launch week garnered 489 TVTs and ranked number one in total TV among all kids (CS 4-14 ABC) in Hindi speaking market (HSM) during its prime play time slot. Moreover, since launch till date, it has ranked number one in total TV among all kids (CS 4-14 ABC) in HSM and has reached out to 96.9 million individuals (CS4+) out of which 32.9 million are kids (CS 4-14) in all India.

He further expresses that, from May to November, the anime 1.5 million kids tuning in for it, which has lead to an increase of 15 per cent in total viewership.

So how it all began? It was in January 2014, where the channel was brainstorming on what other dimensions it can add to the current portfolio. “The first was to make the promise more active. Naturally, the next dimension we wanted to open up was with action-adventure. Pokemon was out first choice which is a mixture of action, comedy and fun,” says Subramaniam.

The thought that revolved was that all young kids have a fantasy world filled with a lot of imagination. The channel recognised the fact that if Pokemon had captured the imagination of one whole generation about 10 years ago, it was time to bring another generation in contact with the series.

When the network bought the television rights of Pokemon, it needed to get a couple of things right. Firstly, it looked at the complementary strengths of Pokemon and Hungama and how can one fuse them to create companion for the kids.

So, for the first time, the channel launched a weekly series (Monday – Friday) at 1 pm. “It was a conscious decision. The story has a linear track and it is important to keep pace with the kids.”

Apart from the original run at 1 pm, the channel also gives opportunity to kids to sample the content by airing repeats during the day. He believes that the conversation around ‘Pokémon’ is a real currency for kids.

According to him the complementary strengths of Hungama has been always to keep the conversations, dialogues colloquial and casual. And that’s the exact treatment that the channel has applied in dubbing the Pokemon series. The voices and dialogues are all in tune with how the kids interact today.

Apart from this, the biggest shot in the arm for any successful series on Hungama has been the unique treatment given to the campaigns around it. With Pokemon, the entire campaign was done by using rap-battle. “Rap music has become quite popular with kids today and through rap-battle, the first campaign told the story of Pokemon and what it means to capture all the Pokemon and become the Pokemon master and when the title is given to you.” Once, it became popular, the channel decided that it is the time now to follow up with another rap-battle. This time around, the rap-battle was between two kids.

To maintain and retain the number one position, the channel does consumer research four times in a year to meet different needs. “We are constantly feeding off the insights that we are drawing from consumers. It’s important to know what they like and dislike and not just liberate to getting our answers for programming. It’s the fact that we are engaging and conversing with them and not just researching them.”

On the advertisers’ front, Hungama enjoys a strong run. “Even when we launched Pokemon, we had the support and confidence of the advertisers has only grown further considering the show is now performing a rock solid which is taking the overall Hungama performance up.”

Brands like Heinz, Piramal, Dabur, ITC Foods have associated with the series in the past four months.

According to Subramaniam, this property is not going to see curtains down anytime soon. He believes there are a lot of interesting stories yet to be told. “It is not even a year, and we have so many Pokemon worlds to display to our young audiences. We have got new dimensions and out of those, we will premier one in Early January 2015. Properties such as Pokemon, once when they endure themselves, they have the tendency to stay on for a very long time. This is the property which is going to continue to resonate Hungama’s audiences for a long time,” signs off Subramaniam.

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Kids

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

Published

4 weeks 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

1 month 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.