Kartoon Studios

What Kartoon Studios does

Kartoon Studios (NYSE American: TOON) is a publicly traded children's entertainment company headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, with production offices in Toronto and Vancouver. The company creates, produces, markets, and licenses animated and live-action content for children and family audiences. Its operations span content development, third-party production services, content distribution across owned and third-party platforms, and consumer products licensing. It serves a diversified set of customers that includes major streaming platforms, broadcasters, toy manufacturers, and licensing partners.

The company's core assets include a content library of more than 3,800 episodes across 6,000+ half-hours, the Kartoon Channel! free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service, the Kartoon Channel Watch FREE app, and a portfolio of owned and licensed intellectual property including the Hundred Acre Wood (Winnie the Pooh) rights, Stan Lee's Universe, and Shaq's Garage. Production capabilities are anchored by Mainframe Studios, a Vancouver-based CGI animation studio acquired in 2021, which delivers production services to major entertainment companies and contributed to 50% production services revenue growth in 2025. The company is also deploying AI-powered animation technology for upcoming content production and an AI-based Stan Lee hologram experience developed with Proto Hologram.

Kartoon Studios' business model operates across four primary revenue streams: (1) production services revenue from studio work for third-party clients, which generated $26.8 million in 2025 (approximately 68% of total revenue); (2) content licensing and distribution revenue from platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, Google, Disney, Sony, Apple, and Toho; (3) consumer products licensing revenue through partnerships with toy manufacturers including Mattel and Spin Master; and (4) advertising and subscription revenue from its owned streaming services. FY2025 revenue totaled $39.4 million, up 21% year-over-year, and the company received a $78.5 million litigation settlement in 2026 that materially strengthened its balance sheet.

Name

Kartoon Studios

Legal name

Kartoon Studios, Inc.

Website

https://gnusbrands.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kartoon Studios (NYSE American: TOON) is a children's entertainment company that creates, produces, distributes, and licenses animated and live-action content. Headquartered in Beverly Hills with production in Toronto and Vancouver, it owns 3,800+ episodes, the Kartoon Channel! FAST service, and Mainframe Studios.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Media and Entertainment

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Kids & Preschool Animation Production (MPADACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Animated Series Production (TV/Streaming) (MPADACAG), Outsourcing Studios (Art/Animation/Audio/Engineering Support) (MPAFAAAN)

Keywords

• Children's media production
• Animated content licensing
• Kids streaming platform
• Family entertainment IP
• Animation production services

Headquarters

HQ city

Beverly Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Content Licensing and IP Monetization: Revenue from licensing the company's owned intellectual property titles including Hundred Acre Wood: Winnie and Friends, Stan Lee Universe, Shaq's Garage, and Rainbow Rangers to global streaming and broadcast platforms.
2. Animation Production Services: Revenue from animation production services at Mainframe Studios, which generated $26.8 million in production services revenue in 2025 (50% year-over-year growth), driven by third-party production contracts.
3. Streaming Subscription and Advertising: Revenue from Kartoon Channel! subscription services and in-house advertising on the company's owned and operated streaming platforms available on Amazon, Pluto, Tubi, Xumo, YouTube, and Samsung TV Plus.
4. Consumer Products: Revenue from branded consumer products, merchandise, and experiential extensions tied to the company's intellectual property franchises, including global consumer products programs for Hundred Acre Wood.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Kartoon Studios develops, produces, markets, streams, and licenses branded kids and family entertainment. It owns or controls more than 3,800 episodes of animated programming, operates the Kartoon Channel! and Ameba TV streaming platforms, runs full-service animation studios (Mainframe Studios, Frederator Studios), manages original IP franchises such as Hundred Acre Wood: Winnie and Friends, Stan Lee Universe, Shaq's Garage, and Rainbow Rangers, and licenses this content to major global platforms.

Product overview

Kartoon Studios is a global media company with a platform-plus-production architecture. The core product is Kartoon Channel!, a subscription-based children's streaming platform (Kidaverse) featuring metaverse elements, NFTs, and kid-safe messaging, which incorporates the acquired Ameba TV brand. The company operates through multiple divisions: Kartoon Studios Productions (original IP development), Mainframe Studios and Frederator Studios (animation production), Toon Media Networks (streaming operations), Beacon Media Group (global distribution), and Stan Lee Universe (IP management). The company owns or controls over 3,800 episodes of animated programming distributed worldwide. Key content brands include Hundred Acre Wood: Winnie and Friends (208 episodes, Q4 2026 launch), Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten, Shaq's Garage, Rainbow Rangers, and streaming content licensed from partners including Masters of the Universe and American Girl.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kartoon Channel!: Children's streaming platform available on Apple App Store, Amazon, Pluto, Tubi, Xumo, YouTube, and Samsung TV Plus. Ranks among top children's viewing destinations on Apple App Store.
• Ameba TV
• Mainframe Studios
• Frederator Studios
• Stan Lee Universe
• Beacon Media Group
• Hundred Acre Wood: Winnie and Friends
• Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten
• Shaq's Garage
• Rainbow Rangers

Products and services

• Kartoon Channel! Subscription-based children's streaming platform featuring kid-safe entertainment with metaverse features, NFTs, and digital currency. Ranks among the top children's viewing destinations on the Apple App Store.
• Mainframe Studios Animation Production Full-service Vancouver-based animation studio providing third-party production services; generated $26.8 million in production services revenue in 2025, 50% year-over-year growth.
• Frederator Studios Animation Production Animation studio and network developing and producing original animated content for children and family audiences.
• Hundred Acre Wood: Winnie and Friends Animated franchise featuring 208 episodes with holiday specials, paired with a global consumer products program, targeting billion-dollar global brand status.
• Stan Lee Universe IP holding and licensing program managing Stan Lee-related content and characters, expanding into collectibles, merchandise, and AI-powered hologram experiences.
• Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten Original animated property featuring characters based on Stan Lee's superhero concepts, with pre-sold brand equity.
• Shaq's Garage Animated series starring Shaquille O'Neal, part of Kartoon Studios' proprietary IP portfolio licensed to global platforms.
• Rainbow Rangers Original animated property in Kartoon Studios' proprietary IP portfolio for kids and family entertainment.
• Beacon Media Group Global Distribution Global distribution and content licensing division managing international sales and distribution of animated content to streaming and broadcast platforms.
• Mattel-Licensed Streaming Content Licensed catalog content including Masters of the Universe (2002) and American Girl (2016) integrated into the Kartoon Channel! streaming service under a Mattel licensing agreement.

Quantifiable outcome

• 21% revenue growth year-over-year to $39.4 million in 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MattelcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 15 May 2026Kartoon Studios signed a licensing agreement with Mattel to add Masters of the Universe (2002) and American Girl (2016) to its Kartoon Channel! streaming service, expanding the platform's content library with established entertainment franchises.
• Shriners Children'scoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 November 2025Kartoon Studios announced a strategic partnership with Shriners Children's to provide free access to its entertainment content at Shriners locations nationwide and to support a Stan Lee-themed fundraising campaign. The collaboration includes content delivery to hospital media systems and the use of Stan Lee's likeness in the campaign aimed at inspiring donors and supporting children's healthcare.
• Jeffrey SchlesingerminorOthers · 17 October 2025Jeffrey Schlesinger, former President of Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Distribution, joined Kartoon Studios' Board of Directors. The company plans to leverage his expertise to expand global distribution, grow recurring revenue, and enhance monetization of its intellectual property.
• Samsung TV PluscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 8 October 2024Kartoon Studios launched its Kartoon Channel video game FAST channel through Samsung TV Plus in the UK, Italy, and Spain, immediately providing access to over 1.5 billion new viewers, tapping into kids' appetite for videogame content with programming including Kidaverse Roblox Rumble, Sonic X, and Donkey Kong Country.
• Power KidscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 8 October 2024Joint venture with Power Kids bringing the Kartoon Channel to India, expanding the company's international reach to over 1.5 billion potential new viewers in a key international market.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Xilam Animation: Xilam Animation is a French independent animation studio producing popular kids' shows (Oggy and the Cockroaches, Totally Spies) with global distribution. Comparable as an emerging independent animation studio with international distribution and IP licensing.
• Cyber Group Studios: Cyber Group Studios is a French independent animation producer/distributor focused on kids' and family content, producing shows like Gigantosaurus and Zorro. Comparable as an emerging animation specialist competing for global distribution deals.

Direct peers

• Moonbug Entertainment: Moonbug owns and distributes popular kids' IPs (CoComelon, Blippi, Little Angel) across YouTube and streaming platforms globally, and was acquired by Candle Media for ~$3B. Directly comparable to Kartoon Studios in children's IP ownership, digital streaming distribution, and franchise monetization.
• Pocket.watch: Pocket.watch is a digital kids' media company that manages and monetizes YouTube-native children's IP (Ryan's World), develops content franchises, and licenses branded consumer products — closely comparable to Kartoon Studios' platform-plus-IP model for kids' entertainment.
• WildBrain: WildBrain is a Canadian publicly-traded kids' entertainment company that owns the Peanuts IP, operates a children's content library (over 13,000 half-hours), and runs the WildBrain Spark YouTube network and AVOD streaming platforms — directly comparable to Kartoon Studios' combination of animation library, IP licensing, and kids' streaming distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Mattel: Mattel is a global toy and family entertainment company that owns major kids' franchises (Barbie, Hot Wheels, Masters of the Universe, American Girl) and produces related content. Recently entered a licensing partnership with Kartoon Channel!, demonstrating overlap in the kids' IP and content licensing space.
• Lionsgate: Lionsgate operates a broad entertainment portfolio including Lionsgate Films, Starz, and Pilgrim Media, with significant kids' and family content via its distribution arm. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping family entertainment content and licensing capabilities.
• Hasbro: Hasbro is a global play and entertainment company with significant kids' IP (Transformers, My Little Pony, Peppa Pig via eOne), consumer products, and content production. Comparable as a broad incumbent in kids' entertainment IP and licensing that competes in adjacent lanes.
• Paramount Global: Paramount Global operates Nickelodeon, one of the largest dedicated children's entertainment brands globally, producing and distributing animated content via Paramount+. Comparable as a broad incumbent with a dedicated kids' content vertical.

Regional players

• Toei Animation: Toei Animation is one of Japan's largest animation studios, producing globally popular kids' franchises (Dragon Ball, One Piece, Sailor Moon) with extensive international distribution. Comparable as a regional incumbent in kids' animation production and global IP licensing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gnusbrands
• Facebookfacebook.com/GeniusBrands
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/genius-brands-international-inc-gnus-
• Instagraminstagram.com/kartoon.studios

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kartoon Studios