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Netflix acquires StoryBots children’s brand
By: Variety | May 9, 2019

The popular children's show will become a regular presence on Netflix.

Netflix has acquired StoryBots, the children's educational brand created by Gregg and Evan Spiridellis, the founders of JibJab. The Spiridellis have entered into a deal with Netflix to expand the StoryBot brand into new areas, including a series and short-form specials, Variety reports. StoryBots has been a great success for the streaming service so far. The Netflix Original series, Ask the Storybots, which debuted in 2016, won three Daytime Emmys.

"Together with Netflix, our goal is to make StoryBots the leading educational entertainment brand for connected kids and families globally. We see this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring something epically good into the world," said the Spiridelli brothers in a statement to Variety.

For those who are unfamiliar with children's television, the StoryBots are a group of five creatures who "live in the world beneath our screens." Think of it as a less obnoxious, less yellow version of Minions with a side of Sesame Street. Geared towards a pre-school audience, the StoryBots educate kids about space, dinosaurs, bedtime and other topics. Guest stars on Ask the Storybots include the likes of Snoop Dogg, Whoopi Goldberg, Kevin Smith and Weird Al Yankovic.

Children's television is shaping up to be an even bigger priority for Netflix. Around 60 percent of Netflix members watch children's programming on the platform, according to Fast Company. The company is expected to $1.1 billion on animation this year, the bulk of which will be children's titles. Some upcoming Netflix projects for children include The Willoughbys, an animated film based on the Lois Lowry book that will star Ricky Gervais and Maya Rudolph. Also underway is Maya and the Three, an animated series directed by The Book of Life's Jorge Gutierrez about a warrior princess set in a mythical Mesoamerican world.

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