Canadian production and broadcasting corporation DHX Media has listed itself for sale following disappointing financial results this year. The news follows a major purchase this year of the Peanuts and Strawberry Shortcake properties for $345 million dollars from Iconix Brand Group, which gave the Hallifax, Novia Scotia-based company an 80 percent stake in the Peanuts intellectual property (with the Charles Schulz estate holding on to 20 percent).
DHX Media stressed that despite the announcement, they are continuing to seek alternatives such as mergers, and may not wind up making a transaction after all if they choose. They’ve assembled a special internal committee to evaluate their possible options.
In recent years, DHX has focused on acquiring properties and furthering Video-on-Demand access worldwide. In addition to Peanuts and Strawberry Shortcake, they own the rights to the shows Bob the Builder, Inspector Gadget, and Degrassi. They’ve further bolstered their library by acquiring Canadian rival Cookie Jar Entertainment, along with the Arthur, Caillou, and Care Bears properties. They also own Teletubbies creators Ragdoll Worldwide.
[Sources: CBC, Hollywood Reporter]
Wow. After gaining the rights to so many well known shows, why is this company struggling?
Probably by wasting money on gaining the rights to so many shows…
Acquiring high-priced “properties” , but not producing any original content , is not a great strategy for success.
That’s the thing though. DHX IS an active studio, and they produce shows for all audiences to this day, including Degrassi, Inspector Gadget, Teletubbies, Peanuts, The Deep, and several shows for themselves and several shows for outside studios, most notably My Little Pony. Bob the Builder, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and Mega Man. The library of Cinar/Cookie Jar, DiC, Wild Brain, Ragdoll, Decode, and Studio B is massive, on par with Warner Bros Animation, and as you know, in the digital age, content is king, and the ones with the most content rules the industry.
However though it does seem as though DHX isn’t doing much with their properties, almost anything they own now that isn’t MLP doesn’t seem to be as big a priority.
What are you talking about? I literally said an active catalog of programs that are of highest priority to DHX right now in the US and globally. And believe me, My Little Pony is HARDLY the priority you may think it is. It’s on a faltering network in the US that could go under any moment and the movie petered out fast and likely won’t make its budget back. The problem is you think locally instead of globally, and the marketplace is much larger than the United States. And even though they don’t outright own shows like Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam, Barney and Friends, and Mega Man, they do distribute them globally and nationally for their owners. The Amazon deal pretty much shows DHX’s library is strong enough to merit a lengthy contract with the company, even without some colorful ponies.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
They have some great shows and amazing designs but nothing seems to catch as much, i also suspect that kids just don’t watch cartoons the same way as even 10 years ago, plus which kid is going to remember Rocky And Bullwinkle? who is that even aimed for?
They need to make stuff like CTN to really stay in the game
NEWSFLASH Rocky, and Bullwinkle was NEVER aimed at, or for Children. Which would go a long way to explaining why I never got the dry, and yet bitterly cynical humor of the Show untill about the time I finally graduated High School. So yeah I love it well enough now, as an adult. But bliping absolutely hated it as a kid.
I’m certain it wasn’t but having most people watch it later doesn’t really help them either does it? look at Nick’s 90’s and even early 00’s lineup and how powerful that was and you can see barely any of the shows DHX either makes or has a hand in does remotely as well.
What they need is something that isn’t just a fast flash in the pan, that really holds interest (something that can sell on a backpack or lunchbox doesn’t hurt either either)
Some would argue that My Little Pony hasn’t done them much harm.
I dont like change, change is different. I hate different!
I already have an idea in mind. It has been my dream that Disney would buy “Peanuts” because I really love both Disney and Peanuts! But it didn’t happen, for it has actually been bought by DHX Media. But now that DHX Media is up for sale, all I need Disney to do is to buy DHX Media. That way, all of DHX’s content, including “Peanuts”, “Strawberry Shortcake”, “Inspector Gadget”, and many others, will all be perfect additions to Disney’s children’s educational programming, via Disney Junior! It will give toddlers everywhere more Disney educational fun just for them! If this happens, I would be so proud! It’s my perfect backup plan for “Peanuts” to be joined into the Disney family! All it needs for this to work is a little bit of Disney magic! I hope that this works!
For a good while, Disney actually owned Inspector Gadget as well as the entire DiC studio and library until they spun it off in 2000. It was a weird relationship, but they at least got two Inspector Gadget films out of it.
I think “Peanuts” would be better off if Warner Bros bought them, seeing as they currently own the video rights to the series.