FUN Union and Oosso have signed an exclusive distribution and licensing agreement for the series BabyRiki in South Korea.
Oosso will be distributing BabyRiki (104×5’), a preschool edutainment series that mixes 3D CGI and live action. BabyRiki launched in China on digital platforms in July 2017, ranking in 320 million views to date and on CCTV Kids in October 2017 with excellent ratings. The series is already a hit in Russia where it launched on YouTube and reached 500 million views in 10 months. BabyRiki series was among the first 100 animation series most watched by buyers at MIP Junior in October 2017.
Oosso, a newly formed company by industry veterans, will be responsible for the distribution of the BabyRiki series and will act as master licensee in the South Korean territory, coordinating and recruiting licensees for the brand, in close coordination with FUN Union.
FUN Union CEO Christine Brendle comments, “We are delighted with this agreement with Oosso. We’re pleased to be working with good professionals at Oosso and also continuing a strong development of our business strategy in a key Asian market such as South Korea.”
Oosso’s board members are all veterans of the industry, with CEO Jongse Kim having worked at ICONIX and Young Toys in the media marketing and licensing divisions. Vice-president Seong-Min Kim has merchandising experience, having worked for a number of FMCG companies including P&G, and is also the official offline distributor for Hasbro in South Korea via his wholly-owned company Maobee, which has a 30 per cent stake in Oosso. Dae Jin Kim, also a vice-president, was previously with Hyundai Motors, Chosun Hotel and SK in business development and business partnerships, and marketing roles.
Oosso CEO Jongse Kim adds, “We believe BabyRiki will be successful in the Korean market. It has all the qualities kids and parents normally look for, being educational, entertaining and also very visually appealing. It is a great pleasure for us to join forces with the FUN Union team and create a new buzz in the Korean market.”
Oosso has already inked deals for broadcast of BabyRiki season one on Daekyo Kids TV, Daekyo Baby TV, KT, SK Broadband, LG U+, Kakao Kids as well as iMBC and Junior NAVER.
The deal comes ahead of the Kidscreen Summit in Miami this month where FUN Union will be present.
