EL REINO INFANTIL, A GLOBAL SCALE ECOSYSTEM FOR KIDS
KIDSCREEN SUMMIT 2026
3%
R ESEARCH FROM AMPERE ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT SCRIPTED TV COMMISSIONING IN NORTH AMERICA CONTINUED ITS RECOVERY IN 2025, WITH TOTAL COMMISSIONS RISING 3% YEAR-ON-YEAR.
7%
FIRST-RUN SCRIPTED COMMISSIONS INCREASED EVEN FASTER, UP 7% YEAR-ON-YEAR.
44%
ADAPTATIONS GOT 44% OF ALL SCRIPTED COMMISSIONS IN NORTH AMERICA IN 2025.
Despite remaining below the heights of the “Peak TV” era, 2025 commissioning volumes in North America climbed back to 76% of 2021 levels, the strongest annual output since the major scripted production cuts of late 2022. This contrasts markedly with international markets, where scripted commissioning dropped 9%.
ITV HAD ITS BIGGEST EVER MONTH IN STREAMING HISTORY
UK’s ITV confirmed that January 2026 was officially its biggest ever month for streaming, recording 383 million streams, surpassing the previous record set in June 2024 (375 million). That milestone was driven by particularly strong performances from soap, reality and drama. ITV’s flagship continuing dramas saw significant uplifts in their streaming viewership, with streams up 48% year on year. “Coronation Street” and “Emmerdale” achieved their highest monthly streaming figures on record, following the epic “Corriedale” crossover episode. ∙
FREMANTLE TAPPED LYDIA GOOMANSINGH
Fremantle has appointed Lydia Goomansingh as Senior Vice President, Commercial, Global Branded Entertainment, reporting to Roberta Zamboni, Global Head of Branded Content & Sponsorship. In this newly created role, Goomansingh will focus on strengthening Fremantle’s global branded entertainment capabilities and scope, including scaling commercial opportunities, expanding global client network with major global brands, agencies and media partners. ∙
BLUE ANT STUDIOS REPOSITIONS UNDER GENRE-LED MODEL
Blue Ant Media has unveiled a major strategic repositioning of Blue Ant Studios, introducing a genre-led operating model, refreshed studio branding and expanded rights capabilities designed to accelerate growth across development, production and global content monetization. The shift follows Blue Ant’s recent acquisitions of Thunderbird Entertainment and Boat Rocker Studios. Under the new structure, Blue Ant Studios will continue to be led by Co-Presidents Mark Bishop and Matt Hornburg. ∙
NEW8 EXTENDS COPRODUCTION DEAL TO BOLSTER EUROPEAN DRAMA
During TV Drama Vision at the Göteborg Film Festival, the eight public service broadcasters behind the “New8” collaboration, SVT (Sweden), DR (Denmark), YLE (Finland), RÚV (Iceland), NRK (Norway), VRT (Flanders/Belgium), NPO (The Netherlands) and ZDF (Germany), announced a three-year extension of their co-production alliance. The commitment follows strong critical and audience responses to recent New8supported drama series, affirming the partnership as an increasingly influential model for public-service collaboration in European scripted content.∙
MEDIAWAN TO ACQUIRE THE NORTH ROAD COMPANY
Mediawan announced the signing of an agreement to acquire The North Road Company, the independent U.S.-based studio founded by Peter Chernin. The combination creates one of the world’s largest independent studios with major creative hubs on five continents and capabilities spanning all genres, formats, and audiences. Together, Mediawan and North Road will have a stronger ability to accelerate the development of powerful IP, foster fresh creative synergies through format adaptations and co-production opportunities, and deliver ever greater value to viewers, talent, and partners worldwide. ∙
GERMANY TO INTRODUCE 8% STREAMING FEE TO SUPPORT LOCAL CONTENT
Germany will implement new rules requiring streaming platforms and TV broadcasters to reinvest a portion of their revenue into the domestic film industry, nearly doubling government funding to attract more productions. The initiative, announced by the Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer, aims to strengthen Germany’s position as a European film-making hub. The new regulations mandate global streamers and major German broadcasters to invest at least 8% of their annual German revenue back into local productions. Companies that opt to invest 12% or more will be exempt from certain regulatory requirements, such as producing content in the German language. ∙
TALPA TO HAVE A NEW GROUP-WIDE BUSINESS STRATEGY
Talpa Studios and Talpa Network will introduce a refined leadership structure, establishing a single group-wide management board while continuing to operate as independent companies. The move is designed to sharpen strategy, increase innovation and drive greater efficiency across the full content value chain. As part of the transition, Maarten Meijs has been appointed to lead the group-wide management board, taking responsibility for strategy and long-term development across both organisations. Joost Brakel will step down as CEO of Talpa Network following a transition period. ∙
BY YLK
The animation market has moved beyond the organic inertia of a good story. Today, the genesis of an IP is an exercise in business architecture, where the reality of the market is no longer fragmentation, but a profound concentration of power. Recent data from Nielsen’s The Gauge reveals a pivotal shift: while streaming viewership shattered records in December 2025 by capturing 47.5% of total TV usage, the vast majority of that attention is consolidated within just four giants: YouTube, Netflix, Disney, and Roku. In this landscape, the era where a good narrative and a solid network of contacts were enough to succeed has been replaced by a new mandate. Success now requires structural leverage within a highly concentrated digital infrastructure.
The pandemic acted as a catalyst. With audiences confined at home and traditional advertisers pulling back, creators found an accelerated growth path on platforms like YouTube. However, this growth was not without friction, particularly regarding child safety. Cases like the falsified “Peppa Pig” videos, part of the Elsagate phenomenon exposed by the New York Times in 2017, abruptly revealed significant flaws in editorial control. Families discovered, almost overnight, the risks of leaving minors alone in front of the screen, and coviewing initially emerged as a defensive response rather than an educational one.
This context led to a regulatory tightening that continues to shape the industry today. The COPPA Rule remains in full force, focused on the data protection of
OPINION
BEYOND THE STORY: FROM SAFETY CRISES TO PHYGITAL MODELS
minors under 13, and is currently undergoing reinterpretation that increases platform obligations regarding moderation and design, thereby raising brand safety standards. This tightening is not isolated to the U.S.; legislative initiatives in France, Australia, and Spain, centered on access restrictions and content control, are redefining the boundaries of what is permissible. At the time, the impact was immediate: many creators saw their revenues drop by up to 40%, leading many to claim that the "magic" was broken.
The exodus toward Instagram and TikTok was almost natural, yet ephemeral. The hegemony of vertical formats and the difficulty of building sustainable monetization models soon showed their limits. Currently, many of these creators are returning to YouTube, driven by data rather than nostalgia. In the United States, YouTube has established itself as the leading audiovisual consumption platform on television screens, surpassing mobile devices and reinforcing its position as the primary window. The platform itself is driving this transition through an interface designed to simulate the traditional television experience, favoring long-form content, coconsumption, and a deeper, more stable type of engagement.
At this point, the lesson is clear: adapting to the dominant format is not enough. It is essential to diversify, build community, and migrate that audience toward proprietary business models. However, a crucial point must be emphasized: community goes beyond the digital realm. It is not limited to views or followers; it
is built on a network of bonds that includes families, parents, educators, and spaces for dialogue outside the platform. This community is the foundation of phygital models, where the digital and physical worlds integrate into hybrid experiences and businesses that represent one of the most relevant trends in the sector today.
Yet, just as the ecosystem was beginning to grasp these new rules, a new disruptive factor emerged: the acceleration of Artificial Intelligence applied to audiovisual production. Once again, we see the promise of extreme democratization, now driven by automation, deepfakes, and mass content generation. As in previous cycles, early adopters capitalized on the opportunity, but saturation quickly devalued the model, and discourses promising easy success proliferated.
The differential value lies in something no algorithm can replicate: judgment, experience, and strategic vision. In an increasingly regulated and competitive market, the ability to build safe, coherent, and purpose-driven brands is the true competitive advantage. Human talent, backed by expertise in partnerships, business strategy, and the construction of communities that transcend the digital space, remains the only quality filter that technology cannot replace. Those who know how to integrate these tools without diluting the essence of professional storytelling will define the next stage of global animation.
By Ylka Tapia, Head of Growth Partnerships and Executive Producer at El Reino Infantil
Marc Ollington
FSTORIES WITH HEART THAT TRAVEL THE WORLD
rom timeless animated specials like “The Gruffalo” to the expanding world of “Zog”, Magic Light has built a distinctive reputation for emotionally rich, character-driven storytelling that resonates with families across generations and territories. Marc Ollington, Co-Managing Director, discusses how the studio has grown its global reach while staying true to its creative DNA, and how the company is navigating a fast-changing children’s content landscape without compromising on quality.
How would you describe the evolution of Magic Light’s creative vision and what values define its storytelling?
“From the very beginning, Magic Light’s mission has been clear: to enrich the imaginations of children and families worldwide through high - quality, emotionally engaging stories that will be cherished for years to come. That hasn’t changed. What has evolved is our scale and reach. As platforms, audiences, and viewing habits have shifted, we’ve adapted how and where our stories are seen, but we’ve stayed absolutely consistent in how they’re made. We continue to prioritise craft, creative ambition, and the very best talent, because quality is the foundation of everything we do. Our storytelling is character- led, warm, witty, and emotionally truthful, with richness in drama and humour that resonates across generations. Ultimately, we’re
MARC OLLINGTON, MAGIC LIGHT CO-MANAGING DIRECTOR, REFLECTS ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE STUDIO’S CREATIVE VISION, THE GLOBAL APPEAL OF ITS ANIMATED SPECIALS AND SERIES, AND THE FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PREMIUM CHILDREN’S STORYTELLING.
focused on creating films and series that families genuinely choose to watch together, stories with heart that last.”
What makes Magic Light’s shows stand out in global markets?
“It starts with the strength of the source material, particularly Julia Donaldson’s wonderful rhyming texts and Axel Scheffler’s instantly recognisable artwork ,combined with Magic Light’s commitment to premium execution. We focus on strong characters, humour, warmth, and stories that work beautifully for children but also reward co - viewing and repeat viewing. That family appeal is incredibly powerful. Over time, audiences have come to trust the idea of a ‘Magic Light Special.’ In the UK, our premieres have become genuine appointment-to - view moments, particularly around Christmas, while internationally the films travel strongly as high - quality, evergreen programming that fits school holidays and on - demand viewing patterns. That blend of emotional connection and consistent quality helps our content feel both locally loved and globally relevant.”
With “Zog” expanding into a full series, how did you approach adapting the originals into longer‑form episodes while maintaining the spirit and appeal of the characters?
“We treated the original specials as our creative foundation stones: establishing the tone, humour,
emotional heart, and the world, and built the series as a natural continuation of that. Moving to 52x11’ episodes lets us spend more time with the characters and explore new adventures, while always retaining the same warmth, wit, and imagination audiences already love. Each story stands alone, while staying true to the spirit of the originals. The themes remain consistent, too: kindness, bravery, problem - solving, and caring for yourself and others. Those values give us endless story potential while preserving the emotional DNA that makes the characters feel so beloved.”
How do you balance universally appealing stories with cultural specificity and depth?
“We start with universal themes, friendship, resilience, curiosity, and empathy, because those travel effortlessly across borders. Then we root those themes in worlds that feel authored, textured, and specific. We also think carefully about platforms. Linear broadcasts can create shared cultural moments, while streaming and digital platforms drive discovery and repeat viewing over time. By embracing that multiplatform ecosystem, we’re able to stay culturally relevant while still reaching global audiences. The goal is always to make stories that feel both ‘big’ enough to travel and ‘true’ enough to matter wherever they’re watched.”
By Romina Rodriguez
DISTRIBUTION
A GLOBAL SCALE KIDS ENTERTAINMENT ECOSYSTEM
FROM DIGITAL-FIRST LEADERSHIP TO MULTI-PLATFORM IP EXPANSION, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND PREMIUM GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION, EL REINO INFANTIL, LED BY FELIPE DE STEFANI, IS REDEFINING HOW DIGITAL-NATIVE KIDS IPS SCALE GLOBALLY ACROSS PLATFORMS, FORMATS AND MARKETS.
After more than a decade and a half of sustained growth in the digital space, El Reino Infantil is entering a new phase of its global strategy, positioning itself beyond its origins as a digital-first content studio to build a broader kids entertainment ecosystem designed for long-term global scale.
With more than 229 million subscribers across platforms and one of the world’s largest children’s audiences on YouTube, the Argentina-based company is leveraging its deep understanding of digital-native IP development to expand into premium formats, international co-productions, and strategic partnerships with major global platforms.
Felipe De Stefani, CEO of El Reino Infantil, sees the current market's complexity as both a challenge and an opportunity. “The biggest challenge is navigating a fast-changing kids ecosystem where discoverability, platform dynamics, and audience behaviors are constantly evolving. After more than 15 years of sustained leadership and building one of the world’s largest digital-first kids ecosystems, with over 229 million YouTube subscribers, the focus is on maintaining relevance at scale, balancing data-driven decisions with authentic storytelling, and expanding globally while preserving strong brand consistency.”
At the core of this next stage is a clear strategic objective. “Our focus is on evolving from a successful digital-first content studio into a broader kids entertainment ecosystem, reflecting the market’s growing demand for IP developed natively for digital platforms. This includes expanding IP into new formats, strengthening strategic partnerships, diversifying revenue streams, and deepening our direct relationship with global audiences beyond traditional distribution models,” De Stefani explained.
A key pillar of this ecosystemdriven strategy is El Reino Infantil’s renewed agreement with Netflix, which further consolidates the company’s position within the premium global streaming landscape. The deal extends the availability of multiple flagship brands to audiences worldwide, reinforcing the growing demand from platforms for digital-born IPs with proven audience traction and strong brand safety credentials.
The renewal reflects Netflix’s continued confidence in El Reino Infantil’s content performance, its ability to localize at scale, and its capacity to sustain long-term engagement across territories. For El Reino Infantil, the agreement represents more than distribution: it is a validation of a business model built on data-driven content creation, franchise longevity, and multi-platform adaptability.
IP EXPANSION AND CO-CREATION
El Reino Infantil will showcase its evolution at Kidscreen 2026, where the company is positioning itself as a strategic partner for platforms, producers, and brands seeking scalable, digital-native kids IPs. Among the highlights is "Bartolito, the Series", an original production expanding the universe of "Zenon’s Farm". Developed as a narrativedriven spin-off, the project is designed for growth across multiple formats and markets, combining comedy, music, and learning in a 3D animation pipeline optimized with Unreal Engine.
The company will also present progress on its international coproductions, including "Wadoo" (with Mediawan Kids & Family), and "Pili Pilota" (Cake Entertainment). Both projects underline the company's shift toward co-creation models that blend global distribution expertise with IPs conceived from the outset for multi-platform expansion.
Moreover, El Reino Infantil continues to monetize and expand its multilingual catalog, led by evergreen brands such as "Zenon’s Farm", "Bichikids", "Zoo Songs", and "Family Blu", all part of a long-term franchise strategy spanning digital platforms, streaming services, and future extensions.
By Romina Rodriguez
SHORTS
ANIMOTION’S
“THE FIXIES” REACHED 3 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS ON YOUTUBE
Animotion Media Group has marked a major global milestone for its flagship edutainment brand "The Fixies", as the official English-language YouTube channel surpassed 3 million subscribers and reached more than 3 billion total views. The achievement highlights the brand’s sustained international appeal and long-term engagement with family audiences worldwide.
Strong growth is also being recorded across other key territories. In the MENA region, the Arabic-language Fixies channel has shown particularly rapid momentum. Launched just over a year ago, the channel has already generated more than 35 million views, underscoring the brand’s strong resonance with regional audiences. This success was further recognized in 2025, when "The Fixies" was named Best Kids’ Initiative of the Year at the BroadcastPro Middle East Awards.
The English-language YouTube channel of The Fixies is operated by WildBrain. “Reaching these milestones is a testament to the universal appeal of 'The Fixies', the value of our longstanding partnership with Animotion and the strength of our WildBrain network in connecting kids
with premium, broadcastquality content. Working closely
with Animotion Media Group since 2016, we’ve seen how educational content rooted in humor and curiosity can travel across cultures and languages, building long-term engagement with families around the world,” said Jack Luckett, VP YouTube Network at WildBrain.
Valeria Korotina, Director of YouTube Distribution and Talent Partnerships at Animotion Media Group, added: “These milestones reflect not only the enduring strength of 'The Fixies' as a global IP, but also the power of a well-executed YouTube and localization strategy. Growing an educational brand to this scale across multiple languages and regions requires longterm audience understanding, consistent platform optimization, and strong partnerships. Seeing ‘The Fixies’ reach millions of families worldwide, and continue accelerating in markets like MENA, confirms that YouTube remains a core driver of sustainable global growth for kids’ content.” ∙
ÁNIMA KITCHENT AND MOCCA STUDIO PARTNER ON “BABY ZU” SECOND SEASON
Spain’s Ánima Kitchent and Indonesia-based Mocca Studio have entered into a co-production agreement for season two of the preschool series “Baby Zu”. Under the deal, the partners will produce 52 new three-minute episodes of the 3D animated series, reinforcing brand continuity and supporting the longterm international growth of the “Baby Zu” franchise.
“This marks our second co-production, reflecting the growing strength of our creative partnership and our shared commitment to high-quality content with strong international potential. We are thrilled to collaborate with Mocca once again on this new 52-episode coproduction for ‘Baby Zu’ which has demonstrated impressive results as a digital first property,” said Miguel Aldasoro, International Sales and Co-production Director at Ánima Kitchent.
Adithya Yustanto, Producer of “Baby Zu” at Mocca Studio added: “Deepening our partnership with Ánima
Kitchent in this second co-production is a significant milestone that validates the global potential we see in this property. We are excited to combine our strengths again to ensure that ‘Baby Zu’ continues to grow as safe, relevant, and meaningful content for children in various countries. Ultimately we want kids everywhere to experience the same joy - singing, learning and growing alongside the Baby Zu characters.”
Available in English, Spanish and Portuguese, the series targets children aged 3–6 and combines music, storytelling and interactive learning to encourage curiosity, creativity and physical activity in a colorful world populated by friendly animal characters. ∙
APPLE TV UNVEILED ITS ORIGINAL CONTENT SLATE FOR 2026
SEÑAL NEWS ATTENDED THE APPLE TV WINTER PRESS DAY IN SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA, WHERE THE COMPANY LAUNCHED NEW AND RETURNING SERIES, ORIGINAL FILMS, AND AN ARRAY OF LIVE SPORTS.
Señal News had the chance to be part of the Apple TV Winter Press Day at The Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, where the company launched an exclusive preview of its new slate of Apple Original content for 2026. The company showcased new and returning series, original films, and an array of live sports, including Formula 1, MLS, and Friday Night Baseball, all set to debut this year.
The event featured a stellar lineup of today’s biggest stars and celebrated storytellers. Since launching in 2019 with nine originals, Apple TV built its library from scratch and now boasts hundreds of critically acclaimed shows and films, with new titles debuting each week, delivering on its commitment to storytelling excellence. With a buzzy upcoming slate, Apple TV will debut new originals each week in 2026, as well as new seasons of returning favorites including “Ted Lasso” season four this summer.
At the Apple TV Press Day, a new trailer for the second season hit series “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” was unleashed, along with teasers for highly anticipated series “Imperfect Women” starring Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington and Kate Mara,
“Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” hailing from David E. Kelley and starring Elle Fanning and Michelle Pfeiffer, and “Lucky,” a new limited series starring Anya TaylorJoy. Apple TV also shared first-look images from “Cape Fear,” “Widow’s Bay,” “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed,” and debuted a clip from the upcoming season of “The Last Thing He Told Me.”
The stars and creators behind award-winning, hit Apple Originals “Pluribus,” “Shrinking,” “Your Friends & Neighbors” and “Sugar” also took to the stage to discuss what’s on the horizon for their breakout series. On the heels of record-breaking blockbuster feature “F1” landing four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, stars from highly anticipated Apple Original Films including “Outcome,” “The Dink,” “Mayday,” “Matchbox The Movie” and “Way of the Warrior Kid” unveiled a first-look at their projects, all set to debut in 2026.
"Your Friends and Neighbours" cast
"Outcome" cast during the Apple TV Press Day
"Imperfect Women" cast
The Apple TV Winter Press Day also featured a special conversation between Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services, Eddy Cue, and Formula 1 President and CEO, Stefano Domenicali, discussing the debut of the exhilarating 2026 F1 racing season on Apple TV. Following the incredible success of “F1,” the highest grossing sports feature of all time, which also just landed four Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Cue and Domenicali discussed Apple TV becoming the US broadcast partner for the 2026 season. The racing league joins Apple's ongoing MLS and MLB sports programming, with all MLS matches and Friday Night Baseball now available with an Apple TV subscription. “One of the first things you're going to see is a quality of video you've never seen before. Because we take 4K, but we don't compress it at the levels that people are used to. We're going to have a single button where you can follow not just the race, but the teams. That's your favorite team with the data.
We’ve got iPhones that we're going to put in different places. I think one of the things that we learned from the F1 movie is different camera angles that you can use that show the incredible athletes that these drivers are,” Cue said during the event.
ONE BY ONE
Apple TV’s momentum is undeniable. On the heels of breaking records at the box office with Academy Award nominated feature “F1,” “The Studio” becoming the most-Emmy Award-winning freshman comedy of all time, and “Severance” leading as this year’s most-awarded drama, the streaming platform enters on a new era. With new global hits like “Pluribus,” “Your Friends & Neighbors” and “The Gorge,” Apple TV enters its seventh year, it has become the home to the highest-quality originals across any streaming service for the last four years and running. Its growing lineup of groundbreaking original shows, award-winning films and live sports have made an indelible impact on culture.
During the Apple TV Press Day, the company launched the following new titles:
• “Shrinking” - Season three now streaming and recently renewed for a fourth season.
• “Eternity” - Premiere Date: February 13
• “The Last Thing He Told Me” - Season two / Premiere Date: February 20, 2026
• “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” - Season two / Premiere Date: February 27, 2026
• “Imperfect Women” Premiere Date: March 18, 2026
• “For All Mankind” - Season Five / Premiere Date: March 27, 2026
• “Your Friends & Neighbors” Season Two / Premiere Date: April 3, 2026
• “Criminal Record” - Season Two / Premier Date: April 22, 2026
• “Widow’s Bay” - Premiere Date: April 29, 2026
• “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed” - Premiere Date: May 20, 2026
• “Cape Fear” - Premiere Date: June 5, 2026
• “Sugar” - Season Two / Premiere Date: June 19, 2026
• “Lucky” - Premiere Date: July 15, 2026
• “The Dink” - Premiere Date: July 24, 2026
• “Mayday" - Premiere Date: September 4, 2026
• “Ted Lasso” Season Four / Premiere Date: Summer 2026
• “Matchbox The Movie” - Premiere Date: October 9, 2026
• “Way of the Warrior Kid” - Premiere Date: November 20, 2026
By Diego Alfagemez
Stefano Domenicali (F1) and Eddy Cue (Apple TV)
"Shrinking" cast in Los Angeles
"Cape Fear" presentation during the Apple TV Press Day
François-Xavier Poirier
FRANÇOIS-XAVIER POIRIER , CEO OF NOVOCOMEDY, SHARES HIS VISION ON WHY SHORT-FORM COMEDY HAS BECOME A UNIVERSAL CONNECTOR ACROSS PLATFORMS—AND HOW THE GENRE IS DRIVING ENGAGEMENT, LONGEVITY, AND MONETIZATION IN TODAY’S FRAGMENTED MEDIA LANDSCAPE.
In a media ecosystem defined by fragmentation, shrinking attention spans, and an everexpanding number of platforms, comedy remains one of the most powerful tools for connection. To explore how comedy is evolving and why it remains one of the most resilient and monetizable genres today, Señal News spoke with François-Xavier Poirier, CEO of Novocomedy, who explains how short-form comedy functions as a bridge between social platforms and traditional television and how Novocomedy designs content to move fluidly across the entire content journey while preserving creative authenticity and longterm value.
How do you define the power of laughter and short form comedy influencing audience engagement?
“Comedy, and especially short-form comedy, has become one of the few truly universal languages in a highly fragmented media world. In an environment where audiences are overwhelmed with choice and attention spans are shorter than ever, laughter creates an instant
“WE SEE COMEDY NOT JUST AS ENTERTAINMENT, BUT AS A CONNECTOR”
emotional connection. You don’t need context, subtitles, or long commitment; a moment of humor is enough to engage. Short-form comedy fits perfectly with how people consume content today: frequent, bite-sized moments across multiple platforms and devices. It’s highly shareable, repeatable, and often rewatched, which makes it incredibly powerful in terms of reach and engagement. At Novocomedy, we see comedy not just as entertainment, but as a connector. It cuts across cultures, generations, and platforms, making it one of the most resilient genres in today’s media ecosystem.”
Do you believe traditional television and YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Shorts could complement each other, rather than compete?
“We don’t see these platforms as competitors; we see them as different touchpoints in the same content journey. Each platform serves a distinct purpose and audience behavior. Traditional television still offers scale, credibility, and shared viewing experiences. Digital platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Shorts excel at discovery, frequency, and direct engagement. Short-form comedy acts as the bridge between these worlds. A prank, gag, or visual joke might first capture attention on social media, then evolve into compilations, longer formats, or scheduled programming
on linear or FAST channels. At Novocomedy, we deliberately design content to move fluidly across platforms, adapting format, length, and packaging while keeping the core humor intact. When done well, each platform amplifies the others.”
How has comedy driven monetization both on linear TV and digital platforms?
“Comedy has always been a strong monetization driver because it attracts broad, loyal audiences and encourages repeat viewing. On linear TV, short comedic segments have historically boosted ratings, filled schedules efficiently, and supported advertising models through high engagement and accessibility. In the digital space, short comedy has become a form of currency because it performs exceptionally well with algorithms. It generates views, shares, and engagement at scale, which translates into ad revenue, sponsorships, branded integrations, and platform partnerships. What we’re seeing now is a shift toward reusability and longevity. Creators and brands should think less about one-off viral moments and more about how content can be repurposed across multiple platforms and windows. Short-form comedy that is non-verbal, modular, and adaptable has the greatest long-term value; it can live on social, FAST, AVOD, and broadcast simultaneously, each with a different monetization logic.”
