• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • TV/Radio Deals
  • Film partnerships
  • New appointments
  • Production
  • TV Channels
Creating kids’ content – It’s not child’s play

Creating kids’ content – It’s not child’s play

February 24, 2022
Thales Alenia Space amends Cristal contract with Airbus

Thales Alenia Space amends Cristal contract with Airbus

June 27, 2022
Fremantle, ITV Studios, BBC Studios to skip MIPCOM 2020 in October

Mipcom Cannes confirmes 200+ exhibitors

June 27, 2022
Isar Aerospace signs launch contract with D-Orbit

Isar Aerospace signs launch contract with D-Orbit

June 27, 2022
SES-22 satellite to launch on June 29

SES-22 satellite to launch on June 29

June 27, 2022
JBM Studio launches production hub in Al Quoz

JBM Studio launches production hub in Al Quoz

June 27, 2022
Lebanese film ‘Farah’ wins at Lebanese Independent Film Festival

Lebanese film ‘Farah’ wins at Lebanese Independent Film Festival

June 27, 2022
Blackmagic Design launches new Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2

Blackmagic Design launches new Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2

June 27, 2022
Virtual vernacular: Terminology in virtual production – Part 2

Virtual vernacular: Terminology in virtual production – Part 2

June 27, 2022
Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards extends deadline for submission

Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards extends deadline for submission

June 27, 2022
Sharjah Broadcasting Authority wins five awards at Gulf Radio and Television Festival

Sharjah Broadcasting Authority wins five awards at Gulf Radio and Television Festival

June 26, 2022
What we can learn from Korean dramas

What we can learn from Korean dramas

June 26, 2022
SRMG and Anghami host MENA Night at Cannes Lions

SRMG and Anghami host MENA Night at Cannes Lions

June 25, 2022
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Magazine Archive
  • Directory
  • Contact
Monday, June 27, 2022
BroadcastPro ME
  • News
    • All
    • Podcasting
    • Cinema Theatres
    • Esports
    • TV/Radio Deals
    • Film partnerships
    • New appointments
    • Production
    • Mergers/Acquisitions
    • Satellite/Comms
    • AV
    • OTT/Video Streaming
    • International News
    • Analyst Reports
    • Satellite/Broadcasting
    Thales Alenia Space amends Cristal contract with Airbus

    Thales Alenia Space amends Cristal contract with Airbus

    Fremantle, ITV Studios, BBC Studios to skip MIPCOM 2020 in October

    Mipcom Cannes confirmes 200+ exhibitors

    Isar Aerospace signs launch contract with D-Orbit

    Isar Aerospace signs launch contract with D-Orbit

    SES-22 satellite to launch on June 29

    SES-22 satellite to launch on June 29

    JBM Studio launches production hub in Al Quoz

    JBM Studio launches production hub in Al Quoz

    Lebanese film ‘Farah’ wins at Lebanese Independent Film Festival

    Lebanese film ‘Farah’ wins at Lebanese Independent Film Festival

    Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards extends deadline for submission

    Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards extends deadline for submission

    Sharjah Broadcasting Authority wins five awards at Gulf Radio and Television Festival

    Sharjah Broadcasting Authority wins five awards at Gulf Radio and Television Festival

    SRMG and Anghami host MENA Night at Cannes Lions

    SRMG and Anghami host MENA Night at Cannes Lions

    Globalstar launches platform for satellite asset tracking

    Globalstar launches platform for satellite asset tracking

    Trending Tags

    • broadcast
    • MENA broadcast
    • ConnecTech2019
  • Tech Features
    • All
    • CASE STUDIES
    • Virtual Production Series
    • REVIEWS
    • TV/Radio Deals
    • New Media
    Virtual vernacular: Terminology in virtual production – Part 2

    Virtual vernacular: Terminology in virtual production – Part 2

    The future of subtitling and captioning

    The future of subtitling and captioning

    Redefining cloud for broadcast

    Redefining cloud for broadcast

    beIN Media Group welcomes students as part of French media company initiative

    beIN Media Group welcomes students as part of French media company initiative

    Virtual production: A field guide to the future of filmmaking

    Virtual production: A field guide to the future of filmmaking

    Why converged media consumption requires a converged security solution

    Why converged media consumption requires a converged security solution

    Unlocking the 5G opportunity in video services

    Unlocking the 5G opportunity in video services

    Exploring the power of AI

    Exploring the power of AI

    Disaster recovery in the cloud

    Disaster recovery in the cloud

    There is hope, opportunity, optimism with the cloud

    There is hope, opportunity, optimism with the cloud

    Trending Tags

    • Videos
      Protecting your content – Devising a multi-pronged strategy

      Protecting your content – Devising a multi-pronged strategy

      Gearing up for a FAST audience

      Gearing up for a FAST audience

      Planning Your Hybrid Cloud Playout Journey

      Planning Your Hybrid Cloud Playout Journey

      Qvest on “The cutting edge of Cloud Editing”

      Qvest on “The cutting edge of Cloud Editing”

      Said Bacho on Editshare’s Middle East plans

      Said Bacho on Editshare’s Middle East plans

      Rami Moussawi, Product Manager at ST Engineering iDirect speaks about SKYFlow

      Rami Moussawi, Product Manager at ST Engineering iDirect speaks about SKYFlow

      ASBU BroadcastPro ME Awards Footage

      ASBU BroadcastPro ME Awards Footage

      CEO Panel – Thriving in the New World Order

      CEO Panel – Thriving in the New World Order

      Taking streaming to the next level

      Taking streaming to the next level

    • Opinion
      What we can learn from Korean dramas

      What we can learn from Korean dramas

      Optimising video players for live sports

      Optimising video players for live sports

      New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

      Identifying good stories and investing in content is the need of the hour

      Edging closer to 5G content delivery in the cloud

      Edging closer to 5G content delivery in the cloud

      New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

      Sports brings more subs to platforms

      How to stand out in a content-saturated market

      How to stand out in a content-saturated market

      New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

      Saudi Arabia’s makeover

      Responding to content consumption trends and monetising demand

      Responding to content consumption trends and monetising demand

      A new wave of Saudi filmmakers

      A new wave of Saudi filmmakers

      New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

      Is NFTs the next big thing for creators?

    • Interviews
      • All
      • Lounge
      Akhbar Al Aan on launch of 3eesh Al Aan Café

      Akhbar Al Aan on launch of 3eesh Al Aan Café

      Staying on schedule

      Staying on schedule

      Great expectations at CABSAT 2021

      Setting the stage for CABSAT 2022

      Taking the OTT bull by its horns

      Taking the OTT bull by its horns

      The path to digital transformation

      The path to digital transformation

      The show must go on

      The show must go on

      BeIN at the top of its game

      BeIN at the top of its game

      Giving us the full Viu

      Giving us the full Viu

      Picture Perfect

      Picture Perfect

      Ambassadors of Arabic content

      Ambassadors of Arabic content

    • Products
    • Magazine Archive
      • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
      • PRO Directory
    • Events
      • Upcoming Events
      • News from Events
      BroadcastPro Tech Summit 2022

      BroadcastPro Tech Summit 2022

      BroadcastAsia 2022

      BroadcastAsia 2022

      CABSAT 2022

      CABSAT 2022

      NABSHOW 2022

      NABSHOW 2022

      Future of Sports Broadcasting Summit 2022

      Future of Sports Broadcasting Summit 2022

    No Result
    View All Result
    BroadcastPro ME
    • News
      • All
      • Podcasting
      • Cinema Theatres
      • Esports
      • TV/Radio Deals
      • Film partnerships
      • New appointments
      • Production
      • Mergers/Acquisitions
      • Satellite/Comms
      • AV
      • OTT/Video Streaming
      • International News
      • Analyst Reports
      • Satellite/Broadcasting
      Thales Alenia Space amends Cristal contract with Airbus

      Thales Alenia Space amends Cristal contract with Airbus

      Fremantle, ITV Studios, BBC Studios to skip MIPCOM 2020 in October

      Mipcom Cannes confirmes 200+ exhibitors

      Isar Aerospace signs launch contract with D-Orbit

      Isar Aerospace signs launch contract with D-Orbit

      SES-22 satellite to launch on June 29

      SES-22 satellite to launch on June 29

      JBM Studio launches production hub in Al Quoz

      JBM Studio launches production hub in Al Quoz

      Lebanese film ‘Farah’ wins at Lebanese Independent Film Festival

      Lebanese film ‘Farah’ wins at Lebanese Independent Film Festival

      Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards extends deadline for submission

      Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards extends deadline for submission

      Sharjah Broadcasting Authority wins five awards at Gulf Radio and Television Festival

      Sharjah Broadcasting Authority wins five awards at Gulf Radio and Television Festival

      SRMG and Anghami host MENA Night at Cannes Lions

      SRMG and Anghami host MENA Night at Cannes Lions

      Globalstar launches platform for satellite asset tracking

      Globalstar launches platform for satellite asset tracking

      Trending Tags

      • broadcast
      • MENA broadcast
      • ConnecTech2019
    • Tech Features
      • All
      • CASE STUDIES
      • Virtual Production Series
      • REVIEWS
      • TV/Radio Deals
      • New Media
      Virtual vernacular: Terminology in virtual production – Part 2

      Virtual vernacular: Terminology in virtual production – Part 2

      The future of subtitling and captioning

      The future of subtitling and captioning

      Redefining cloud for broadcast

      Redefining cloud for broadcast

      beIN Media Group welcomes students as part of French media company initiative

      beIN Media Group welcomes students as part of French media company initiative

      Virtual production: A field guide to the future of filmmaking

      Virtual production: A field guide to the future of filmmaking

      Why converged media consumption requires a converged security solution

      Why converged media consumption requires a converged security solution

      Unlocking the 5G opportunity in video services

      Unlocking the 5G opportunity in video services

      Exploring the power of AI

      Exploring the power of AI

      Disaster recovery in the cloud

      Disaster recovery in the cloud

      There is hope, opportunity, optimism with the cloud

      There is hope, opportunity, optimism with the cloud

      Trending Tags

      • Videos
        Protecting your content – Devising a multi-pronged strategy

        Protecting your content – Devising a multi-pronged strategy

        Gearing up for a FAST audience

        Gearing up for a FAST audience

        Planning Your Hybrid Cloud Playout Journey

        Planning Your Hybrid Cloud Playout Journey

        Qvest on “The cutting edge of Cloud Editing”

        Qvest on “The cutting edge of Cloud Editing”

        Said Bacho on Editshare’s Middle East plans

        Said Bacho on Editshare’s Middle East plans

        Rami Moussawi, Product Manager at ST Engineering iDirect speaks about SKYFlow

        Rami Moussawi, Product Manager at ST Engineering iDirect speaks about SKYFlow

        ASBU BroadcastPro ME Awards Footage

        ASBU BroadcastPro ME Awards Footage

        CEO Panel – Thriving in the New World Order

        CEO Panel – Thriving in the New World Order

        Taking streaming to the next level

        Taking streaming to the next level

      • Opinion
        What we can learn from Korean dramas

        What we can learn from Korean dramas

        Optimising video players for live sports

        Optimising video players for live sports

        New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

        Identifying good stories and investing in content is the need of the hour

        Edging closer to 5G content delivery in the cloud

        Edging closer to 5G content delivery in the cloud

        New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

        Sports brings more subs to platforms

        How to stand out in a content-saturated market

        How to stand out in a content-saturated market

        New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

        Saudi Arabia’s makeover

        Responding to content consumption trends and monetising demand

        Responding to content consumption trends and monetising demand

        A new wave of Saudi filmmakers

        A new wave of Saudi filmmakers

        New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

        Is NFTs the next big thing for creators?

      • Interviews
        • All
        • Lounge
        Akhbar Al Aan on launch of 3eesh Al Aan Café

        Akhbar Al Aan on launch of 3eesh Al Aan Café

        Staying on schedule

        Staying on schedule

        Great expectations at CABSAT 2021

        Setting the stage for CABSAT 2022

        Taking the OTT bull by its horns

        Taking the OTT bull by its horns

        The path to digital transformation

        The path to digital transformation

        The show must go on

        The show must go on

        BeIN at the top of its game

        BeIN at the top of its game

        Giving us the full Viu

        Giving us the full Viu

        Picture Perfect

        Picture Perfect

        Ambassadors of Arabic content

        Ambassadors of Arabic content

      • Products
      • Magazine Archive
        • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
        • PRO Directory
      • Events
        • Upcoming Events
        • News from Events
        BroadcastPro Tech Summit 2022

        BroadcastPro Tech Summit 2022

        BroadcastAsia 2022

        BroadcastAsia 2022

        CABSAT 2022

        CABSAT 2022

        NABSHOW 2022

        NABSHOW 2022

        Future of Sports Broadcasting Summit 2022

        Future of Sports Broadcasting Summit 2022

      No Result
      View All Result
      BroadcastPro ME
      No Result
      View All Result
      Home Case Studies OTT Features

      Creating kids’ content – It’s not child’s play

      Vijaya Cherian by Vijaya Cherian
      February 24, 2022
      in OTT Features
      Creating kids’ content – It’s not child’s play
      ShareTweetPostEmail

      Producing and distributing children’s content has been their forte for the last decade. Now the founders of Jordan’s PG Studios have launched a MENA streaming service for kids, aiming to provide entertainment that keeps in mind the cultural sensitivities of the Arab world.

      Progressive Generation (PG) Studios founders Ahmed Al Masri and Feras Al Kiswani, who have produced and distributed children’s content since the launch of their company in 2011, decided to go direct-to-consumer (D2C) with the launch of their new streaming service PG Kids on January 1. The SVOD service, available at a monthly subscription of $5, is powered entirely by Red Bee Media’s managed OTT services.

      “We started this company with a seed fund of $1,000 here in Jordan back in 2011,” explains Al Masri. “In the last four years, we have ramped up our operations and expanded into Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman. Our aim was to become the equivalent of Disney in the Arab region and produce content that inspires and educates children. We worked hard to build a strong team and produce competitive children’s content, and we collaborate with all the big international names to build a global brand.

      “We have been selling our IPs to more than 35 TV stations here in the MENA region since 2011. Now we have moved from a B2B business model to B2C. It’s something we have been planning for the last three years. This happened because of many factors – the nature of children today and the changing technology. The pandemic helped to accelerate this decision. PG Kids is one of the biggest online platforms for children, and we provide a safe platform for them.”

      The team in Jordan, where most of the concepts are planned.

      PG Studios claims to own the biggest library of original children’s content in the MENA region, with a portfolio that includes full series and songs in both Arabic and English. PG Kids has content that typically caters to two age groups – between three and six, and between six and ten. Popular programmes include The Friends, Roko & Sharshoor, Mr. Labeeb, Our World and Child of the Sun. With most of its content being animated shows, PG Studios has incorporated educational messages into its entertainment.

      “On the whole, our focus is on entertainment, but we do have some specific edutainment programmes. Some of our content features ethical problem-solving of issues such as sexual harassment, but in a child-friendly way.”

      PG Studios has been licensing its content to third parties, but it revisited its contracts three years ago when planning its streaming service, to ensure rights were only provided for linear TV.

      “The total valuation of original content on PG Kids exceeds $27m and 15 years of hard work. We currently have 115,000 minutes of original content. It is almost 100 full series and 200 songs in three languages – Arabic, English and French. All our content is in Arabic, with 20% of it also currently available in English and 5% in French. The content available currently on the PG Kids streaming service is 50% of the total content we have. It’s a massive library and we have enough for the next six months.

      From left: PG Studios founders Ahmed Al Masri and Feras Al Kiswani.

      “The contracts for the content we have licensed to third parties will conclude by the end of 2023. They have been done in phases, so the rest of the content we own will also slowly move back into our platform by 2023.”

      In the meantime, PG Kids is ramping up its efforts to source other children’s content for its platform through its own original content and collaborations with other producers. The firm has 27 employees in Jordan, with a branch in Turkey that manages the creation and animation of our shows.

      “We plan most of the concepts here in Jordan but have 60 full-time employees in Turkey who are responsible for the animation. We have also trained more than 300 fresh graduates on the animation programs that we have in 2D and 3D, maintaining the syllabus that they have in the universities. In the meantime, we have also signed many partnerships with other producers in the MENA region to give us exclusive content, and revenue will be shared between us and them. We hope to sign with some international studios also in the future. Our R&D shows us that many producers are willing to put their content on our platform at this stage, and we know that the big international names will follow when they see some results on the ground,” Al Kiswani explains.

      As a children’s content producer, PG Studios regularly consults with child psychologists and experts when creating and producing content. “We collaborate with specialists in children’s upbringing and psychology. In addition to directors and producers whose expertise is children’s content, we collaborate with technology providers like Adobe, Autodesk, Dolby Digital and Red Bee, of course.”

      “We have trained more than 300 fresh graduates on the animation programs that we have in 2D and 3D, maintaining the syllabus that they have in the universities” – Feras Al Kiswani, founder, Progressive Generation Studios

      Masri explains that the rationale for founding a kids’ content channel stems from the current market’s lack of adequate content.

      “It’s a blue ocean. In total, Arabic content in the MENA region comprises less than 2.7%, and children’s content is less than 1.3% of that. Also, most of the children’s content that TV stations here carry are from international studios. We don’t have a lot of localised content for the MENA region. We know five big names here in Jordan that have closed in the last three years.

      “It seems like it’s not a profitable industry, but globally it’s a huge industry. In the global market in 2019, more than $7bn was spent on children’s content, and with the pandemic, all the matrices have doubled regarding online content. It is a multi-billion-dollar industry, especially when linked with merchandising for the characters and original designs. Also, children spend nearly 35 hours per week watching and playing with smart devices.”

      But producing content is not cheap, of course, and the ROI may not be rewarding enough to stay focused on children’s content for most players, says Masri.

      “Here in the MENA region, if you want to produce a series the cost is exorbitant compared to, say, an IP from China. Here the copyright by itself exceeds $50k for a series, while you could get it for a tenth of that price from other markets. It depends on the type of content and on the language that you are using. So most people don’t invest in IPs. This region is also still developing the expertise to produce great animation.”

      PG Studios has a big team in Turkey, where most of the animation is created.

      PG Studios is currently in the process of marketing its streaming service primarily to parents.

      “We need to reach out to the parents, because we know the child will not reach the platform as a direct customer. Here, we have direct and indirect customers. The payers will be the parents, so they must see a value in our platform. We are offering a platform that is safe for children, especially here in the MENA region, and ensuring it is suitable for children of all kinds and diversities in the global market. Our findings show us that a lot of parents in the region and abroad are not comfortable with the content their children can potentially access on other services. Some have specifically said they don’t want their children to engage with YouTube’s and Netflix’s system of entertainment.”

      PG Kids hopes to target this audience and is looking to attract “more than 10,000 subscribers by the end of January” and 150,000-odd subscribers by the end of the year.

      No doubt, there are challenges.

      “Penetrating the B2C market is not easy. We are always careful to look at cultural sensitivities before buying content. Here in the MENA region, we also face a lot of copyright issues. If you do not have strong technical support for your content, copyright can be a concern, but Red Bee has addressed this for us.” PG’s five-year plan is to “produce hit content and be open for other producers to collaborate with us and produce successful shows that appeal to children across the world”. In keeping with these production goals, the media house hopes to have 80% of its content available in English and 30% in French by the end of 2022.

      Red Bee Media powers PG Kids

      When PG Studios decided it was time to gather all its original content in one place and offer it directly to audiences across the MENA region, it decided to go with Red Bee Media to make this possible efficiently.

      “Three years ago, when we decided to go ahead with PG Kids, we talked with more than four solution providers like Red Bee and some other big names. We did give developing our own online platform some thought, but we realised that we would not be able to manage all the technical challenges that would appear – the updates and upgrades of the system,” says Al Masri.

      “Red Bee helped us set up a good SVOD service, with broadcast-quality streams and precise personalisation and recommendation functionality, allowing us to offer an excellent user experience for both parents and kids.”

      Houssam Al Khaled, Head of Sales and Operations at Red Bee Middle East, elaborates on what it can offer. Red Bee’s managed OTT services enable brands and content owners to launch a fully-fledged streaming offering rapidly and easily. It supports all content formats, including live, linear, catch-up and on-demand, low-latency streaming, as well as a full range of monetisation options (such as ad-funded, subscription, pay-per-view and vouchers). All content is protected through Red Bee’s advanced geo-blocking and digital rights management (DRM) functionality. As an add-on, Progressive Generation Studios also offers merchandise related to its original content through PG-merch.com.

      Red Bee offered comprehensive support not just with the technical aspect, but with the red tape as well.

      “We realised that if we wanted to go global, we needed to partner with a strong name to manage the red tape more efficiently. As a newcomer to OTT, for instance, we would face many problems regarding copyright with Apple and Android devices. They would not give us the licence that we have today for children’s content,” explains Al Masri.

      “It’s very difficult to make kids’ content and put it online. Apple and Android have many restrictions regarding this, as well as Google, and although we would have gone by the book, there will still be some hurdles. Red Bee already knew how to address this with their expertise.”

      “The total valuation of original content on PG Kids exceeds $27m and 15 years of hard work. We currently have 115,000 minutes of original content. It is almost 100 full series and 200 songs in three languages – Arabic, English and French” – Ahmed Al Masri, founder, Progressive Generation Studios

      PG Studios decided to focus on its core strength. For a monthly fee, Red Bee manages the website, the user interface and all things related to streaming.

      Al Khaled says: “If you are Netflix, Amazon or Disney, it makes total sense to build core competence in creating and managing a secure, flexible, global streaming platform. But no one should underestimate the risks, costs and long-term deep-pocket commitment needed in going alone. Working with an established service platform will enable us to focus on driving market success rather than building and operating technology. You will get to market much faster. You will be able to adapt more rapidly to changing needs. You can align your costs on a usage basis with revenues to create an overall healthy investment case,” adds Al Masri.

      Red Bee’s Al Khaled agrees, adding that the availability of such OTT services are helping content owners and creators all over the world transform their business model, reach larger audiences and monetise their assets in new ways.

      Tags: The FriendsArabic contentRoko & SharshoorcopyrightAhmed Al MasrifeaturedpostRed BeeFeras Al KiswaniAdobePG Studios3dProgressive Generation StudiosAutodeskPG KidsanimationDolby DigitalDisney2Dkids contentOur Worldlinear TVChild of the Sun

      Related Posts

      Jordan’s Progressive Generation Studios launches MENA OTT service with Red Bee solution

      Jordan’s Progressive Generation Studios launches MENA OTT service with Red Bee solution

      November 30, 2021

      Related News

      Jordan’s Progressive Generation Studios launches MENA OTT service with Red Bee solution

      Jordan’s Progressive Generation Studios launches MENA OTT service with Red Bee solution

      November 30, 2021
      More Related News

      Popular Stories

      • Abu Dhabi Media appoints StarzPlay as exclusive partner for advertising sales

        Abu Dhabi Media appoints StarzPlay as exclusive partner for advertising sales

        708 shares
        Share 283 Tweet 177
      • Orange Egypt joins forces with Spotify to provide exclusive offers

        696 shares
        Share 278 Tweet 174
      • AD Film Commission organises tour of Abu Dhabi’s key production locations for Indian filmmakers

        671 shares
        Share 268 Tweet 168
      • Tubi signs exclusive multi-year content deal with Lionsgate

        617 shares
        Share 247 Tweet 154
      • Twitter’s #FeminineArabic bags Silver Lion at Cannes Lions 2022

        615 shares
        Share 246 Tweet 154

      BroadcastPro ME

      • About
      • Advertise
      • Subscribe
      • Magazine Archive
      • Directory
      • Contact
      • Privacy

      Follow us on Social Media

      No Result
      View All Result
      • News
      • Tech Features
      • Videos
      • Opinion
      • Interviews
      • Products
      • Magazine Archive
        • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
        • PRO Directory
      • Events

      Login to your account below

      Forgotten Password?

      Fill the forms bellow to register

      All fields are required. Log In

      Retrieve your password

      Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

      Log In
      Social Media Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com