brown bag films

What brown bag films does

Brown Bag Films is a privately held animation production studio founded in Dublin in 1994 by Cathal Gaffney and Darragh O'Connell, now operating as a wholly owned subsidiary within Scholastic Entertainment following the 2024 acquisition of parent 9 Story Media Group. The studio produces animated television series, specials, and short films primarily for preschool and children's audiences, with a portfolio spanning iconic franchises including Octonauts, Doc McStuffins, Peter Rabbit, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Wild Kratts, Vampirina, and Karma's World. It operates three production hubs — Dublin (headquarters with full 2D, 3D, and hybrid pipelines plus in-house post-production), Toronto (2D specialty), and Bali (3D asset creation and compositing, acquired in 2019) — employing 1,000+ animators, producers, and technologists globally. In June 2026, the studio launched Bad Pencil Animation, a dedicated service-work label expanding into prime-time content for older audiences in comedy, horror, drama, and action genres.

The studio's revenue model combines fee-based animation production services for global broadcasters and streaming platforms (PBS KIDS, Disney, Netflix, Apple TV+, BBC, Nickelodeon) with licensing royalties from original IP and book-to-screen adaptations developed with IP holders such as Scholastic, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, and the Frank McCourt Estate. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; production economics are supported by up to 40% tax incentives available through Irish and Canadian studio locations, which materially improve cost competitiveness against US-based peers. Distribution spans 180+ countries through major platforms and international broadcasters.

Brown Bag Films' technology stack includes hybrid 2D/3D animation pipelines, Unreal Engine, Autodesk Maya, ShotGrid, and proprietary in-house tools, with full in-house animation, picture, and audio post-production capabilities. The studio's competitive position rests on three decades of award-recognized creative output (two Academy Award nominations for animated shorts, multiple Emmy and Annie wins, multiple #1 Kidscreen Hot50 rankings), long-tenured platform relationships, and the integration benefits of operating within the Scholastic and 9 Story Media Group family. Leadership remains anchored by the founding co-founders in CIO and Group Creative Director roles, with operational leadership distributed across regional SVPs of production in Dublin, Toronto, and Bali.

Name

brown bag films

Legal name

Brown Bag Films

Website

https://brownbagfilms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Brown Bag Films is a Dublin-founded, Scholastic-owned animation studio producing award-winning children's television series, specials, and feature projects for global broadcasters and streaming platforms, operating 1,000+ staff across studios in Dublin, Toronto, and Bali.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Animation Production Services: The studio provides animation production services for global clients, studios, and creators, producing both preschool and older-skewing content. Bad Pencil Animation label focuses exclusively on service work for prime-time content.
2. Original IP Development: Development and co-production of original animated series and short films, including Henry Hugglemonster, Octonauts, Doc McStuffins, Vampirina, and Karma's World, with revenue from licensing and distribution.
3. Feature Film Projects: Expansion into feature-length animation projects including Dr. Seuss's Horton! and The Sneetches, Magic School Bus feature, and Goosebumps projects for Scholastic.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Brown Bag Films is a global animation studio providing end-to-end 2D, 3D, and hybrid animation production services for global broadcasters, streaming platforms, and IP owners, producing preschool and children's animated series, specials, feature projects, and Oscar-nominated animated shorts. Operating from studios in Dublin, Toronto, and Bali, the studio delivers full in-house capabilities from concept through animation, picture, and audio post-production, serving clients such as Netflix, Disney, PBS KIDS, BBC, Apple TV+, and Nickelodeon.

Product overview

Brown Bag Films is a creative-led, global animation studio with locations in Dublin, Toronto, and Bali that produces award-winning animated content for television, digital platforms, and theatrical release. The studio operates as part of the Scholastic family and 9 Story Media Group, offering comprehensive animation production services spanning 2D, 3D, and hybrid formats including live-action. The company's content portfolio includes preschool series (Octonauts, Doc McStuffins, Peter Rabbit, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Wild Kratts, Bing, Vampirina), Netflix and Disney+ original series (RoboGobo, Karma's World, Ada Twist Scientist, The Sneetches, Sago Mini Friends, Eva the Owlet), PBS KIDS programming (Super Why's Comic Book Adventures, Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum, Nature Cat), and feature content. The studio also produces Oscar-nominated animated shorts (Give Up Yer Aul Sins, Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty, 23 Degrees 5 Minutes) and book trailers. In 2026, the company expanded into older-skewing content through Bad Pencil Animation, a service-work label for darker, stranger, more mature storytelling in comedy, horror, drama, and action genres.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Animation Production Services
• Bad Pencil Animation

Quantifiable outcome

• Two Academy Award nominations for animated shorts
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and historical.

• ScholasticcoreOthers · 1 January 2024Scholastic acquired Brown Bag Films in 2024, bringing the studio into the Scholastic family. Brown Bag Films now operates as part of Scholastic Entertainment, producing content for Scholastic legacy brands including Goosebumps, 39 Clues, Animorphs, and Magic School Bus feature.
• 9 Story Media GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Brown Bag Films joined the 9 Story Media Group family in August 2015. 9 Story's Toronto studio was rebranded to Brown Bag Films Toronto, and together they ranked #1 in production on Kidscreen Hot50 multiple times.
• Fred Rogers ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of Daniel Tiger's Neighbourhood, carrying forward the legacy of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood for PBS KIDS
• PBS KIDScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor distribution partner for Wild Kratts, Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum, Super Why's Comic Book Adventures, and Nature Cat on PBS KIDS
• DisneycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing partner for Doc McStuffins, Henry Hugglemonster, Vampirina (Disney Junior) and RoboGobo (Disney+)
• NetflixcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for Angela's Christmas franchise, Eva the Owlet, Sago Mini Friends, Chico Bon Bon: Monkey with a Tool Belt, and The Magic School Bus: Rides Again
• Apple TV+coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for Eva the Owlet and Sago Mini Friends on Apple TV+
• NickelodeoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for Olivia, Peter Rabbit, and Nella the Princess Knight distributed via Nick Jr and Nickelodeon networks globally
• BBCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOctonauts premiered on CBeebies and became top-rated preschool show within three months
• ChorioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partner for Olivia and Octonauts based on Chorion's literary properties
• Dr. Seuss EnterprisesstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced Dr. Seuss's Horton! and The Sneetches animated specials for Netflix
• Frank McCourt EstatestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced Angela's Christmas and Angela's Christmas Wish based on Pulitzer Prize-winning author Frank McCourt's characters
• Kratt Brothers CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer with the Kratts (Martin and Chris) for Wild Kratts on PBS KIDS
• RTÉhistoricalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEarly production partner; produced first series for RTÉ in 1994 and numerous shows including Why?, I'm an Animal, and Taxi

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Nelvana: Toronto-based kids' animation studio owned by Corus Entertainment, producing preschool and children's series for global broadcasters. Directly comparable in target segment (preschool/IP-based animation), client base (PBS, Nickelodeon, Netflix), and scale — Nelvana is Brown Bag's closest North American competitor.
• WildBrain: Canadian entertainment company with a major animation studio producing kids' content including original IP and service work for global platforms. Comparable in kids' animation focus, Canadian tax incentive access, and IP-driven/library-based business model; competes for similar preschool commissions.
• Guru Studio: Toronto-based animation studio producing original kids' series (Paw Patrol spinoffs, True and the Rainbow Kingdom) and service work. Comparable in kids' animation focus, Toronto location and tax incentive access, and hybrid 2D/3D pipeline capabilities.
• Atomic Cartoons: Vancouver/Ottawa animation studio producing kids' series for Netflix, Disney and others (including Marvel's Spidey and His Amazing Friends). Directly comparable service-studio business model, kids' content focus, and Canadian tax credit utilization.
• Bardel Entertainment: Vancouver-based animation studio providing 2D and 3D animation services for global platforms including Netflix (Invincible) and Disney. Comparable as a Canadian animation service provider leveraging tax incentives and serving similar premium clients.
• Xilam Animation: French animation studio producing original kids' series (Oggy and the Cockroaches, Zig & Sharko) and adult animation. Comparable as an independent European animation studio with similar IP ownership and service work mix; competes for similar European broadcaster commissions.
• Mondo TV: Italian animation group producing kids' series (Sylvanian Families, MeteoHeroes) and licensing globally. Comparable as an independent European animation studio focused on kids' IP and service work, with similar international distribution profile.

Broad incumbents

• Zodiak Kids (Banijay Kids & Family): Global kids' entertainment division of Banijay, producing and distributing animation including Totally Spies and other IP. Broader incumbent with significant scale and library assets; overlaps with Brown Bag in kids' animation production and global distribution.
• Studio 100: Belgian-based kids' entertainment company with major animation brands (Maya the Bee, Heidi). Comparable in kids' animation focus and European base; larger incumbent with extensive IP library and global licensing operations.
• 9 Story Media Group: Toronto-based parent company of Brown Bag Films since 2015 and now part of Scholastic. Direct parent and operating peer — produces/distributes kids' content (Daniel Tiger's Neighbourhood, Wild Kratts) and shares distribution, IP library and producer relationships with Brown Bag.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/brownbagfilms
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/brownbagfilms
• Facebookfacebook.com/BrownBagFilms
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brown-bag-films
• Instagraminstagram.com/brownbagfilms
• TikToktiktok.com/@brownbagfilms

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about brown bag films