Fresh TV
Fresh TV is a Toronto-based independent production company founded in 2004 that develops and produces animated and live-action youth entertainment series for global broadcasters and streamers, including the Total Drama franchise, 6Teen, and Lucas the Spider, distributed in 193 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Fresh TV does
Fresh TV Inc. is a Toronto-based independent television production company founded in 2004 by four Emmy Award-winning producers — Tom McGillis (President), Brian Irving (CFO), Jennifer Pertsch (VP Creative Affairs), and George Elliott (Executive Producer) — with Elliott Animation Inc. functioning as a wholly-owned production partner since 2007. The company specializes in youth entertainment (roughly ages 6-18), producing both animated and live-action series and films, including the Total Drama franchise (Total Drama Island, Total Dramarama, Total Drama Presents: The Ridonculous Race), 6Teen, Stoked, GrojBand, My Babysitter's a Vampire, Backstage, Bunks, and Lucas the Spider. Its animation production combines CGI characters with live-action backgrounds, executed through Elliott Animation, with long-form series running up to 152 episodes of 11 minutes each.
Fresh TV monetizes primarily through content licensing and royalty arrangements with major broadcasters and streaming platforms, including Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, Family Channel, Teletoon, and Netflix. The Total Drama franchise alone has sold into over 264 territories and content has aired in 193 countries. Secondary revenue streams include merchandise and licensed goods (notably Lucas the Spider toys) and YouTube-based monetization through the Lucas the Spider channel, which has amassed over 1 billion views and 3.5 million subscribers. The company employs 51-100 people, has won industry awards including a 2009 Daytime Emmy (Outstanding Original Song, 6Teen) and a 2011 Kidscreen Award (Total Drama World Tour), and operates from 237 Wallace Avenue, Toronto.
The go-to-market motion is B2B channel licensing to a small set of major international broadcasters, with downstream consumer engagement driven through social media and YouTube. Customers include both US cable networks (Disney Channel, Cartoon Network), Canadian broadcasters (Teletoon, Family Channel), and global streamers (Netflix). Pricing is contract-based rather than published, reflecting the project-based nature of content licensing. The business model is therefore dependent on a recurring slate of new productions to renew and expand license relationships.
Fresh TV firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Fresh TV
- Legal name
- Fresh TV Inc.
- Website
- https://freshtvinc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Fresh TV is a Toronto-based independent production company founded in 2004 that develops and produces animated and live-action youth entertainment series for global broadcasters and streamers, including the Total Drama franchise, 6Teen, and Lucas the Spider, distributed in 193 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Fresh TV industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Television Production
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Animated Series Production (TV/Streaming) (MPADACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Kids & Preschool Animation Production (MPADACAJ), Live-Action Kids & Family Production (MPADABAF)
Keywords
Where Fresh TV is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Fresh TV business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Content Licensing to Broadcasters: Fresh TV licenses its original productions to major broadcasters including Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, Family Channel, Teletoon, and Netflix. The Total Drama franchise has been sold to over 264 territories worldwide.
- Merchandise and Licensed Goods: Lucas the Spider has launched a successful line of toys and licensed goods, generating additional revenue streams beyond broadcast licensing.
- YouTube Content Distribution: Lucas the Spider YouTube channel has amassed over 1 billion views and 3.5 million subscribers, with potential revenue from YouTube memberships, merch sales, and video premieres.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Fresh TV product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Fresh TV develops and produces animated and live-action youth entertainment series for international broadcast. The company creates original TV series, shows, and movies targeted at children and teen audiences (ages 6-18), licensing these productions to major broadcasters including Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, Family Channel, Teletoon, and Netflix. Productions include the Total Drama franchise, 6teen, My Babysitter's a Vampire, Backstage, Stoked, Grojband, and Lucas the Spider.
Product overview
Fresh TV is a Toronto-based television production company founded in 2004 that develops and produces youth entertainment across animated and live-action formats. The company operates as a portfolio of distinct productions rather than a unified software platform. Its animated portfolio includes the Total Drama franchise (Total Drama Island, Total Dramarama, Total Drama Presents: The Ridonculous Race), 6teen, Grojband, Stoked, and Lucas the Spider. Live-action productions include Backstage, My Babysitter's a Vampire, and Bunks. Productions are distributed internationally through broadcasters including Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, Teletoon, Family Channel, and Netflix, reaching 193 countries. Fresh TV also includes Elliott Animation Inc. as its formal production partner for animation and special effects.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Elliott Animation: World class animation and special FX studio; production partner of Fresh TV since 2007.
Products and services
- Lucas the Spider Animated series following a little spider named Lucas and his friends navigating the human world, combining live-action backgrounds with CGI characters. Targets youth audiences and distributed via Cartoon Network, Boomerang, and YouTube.
- Total Dramarama Animated series featuring Total Drama Island cast members as four-year-olds in a daycare center, with their full-sized personalities intact. 152 episodes of 11 minutes each. Targets young audiences.
- 6teen Emmy Award-winning animated situation comedy set in a shopping mall, following six 16-year-old friends navigating their first part-time jobs. 95 episodes of 22 minutes each aired on Cartoon Network and Teletoon. Targets teen audiences.
- Backstage Scripted drama series set in an elite school for performing arts, acquired by Disney Channel Worldwide and Family Channel for 15 territories. 60 episodes of 22 minutes each. Targets teen audiences.
- Bunks
Quantifiable outcome
- Total Drama Island finale was #1 telecast in Cartoon Network's history
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Fresh TV
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Fresh TV technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Fresh TV partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Joshua SlicecoreAnimator and creator of Lucas the Spider. Fresh TV acquired exclusive rights to the internet phenomenon and partnered with Slice to expand Lucas the Spider adventures into ongoing series and feature length projects.
- Elliott Animation Inc.coreWorld-class animation and special FX studio which became Fresh TV's formal production partner in 2007. George Elliott is president/creative head of Elliott Animation.
- Disney ChannelcoreDisney Channel licensed Backstage for 15 territories including U.S., U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. My Babysitter's a Vampire ranked #1 U.S. cable show amongst kids 2-11 on Disney Channel.
- Cartoon NetworkcoreTotal Drama Island finale was #1 telecast in Cartoon Network's history. Multiple Total Drama franchise productions broadcast on Cartoon Network US.
- NetflixcoreTotal Drama franchise recently picked up by Netflix for streaming distribution globally.
- Family ChannelcoreCanadian broadcaster with multiple Fresh TV productions including Backstage (premiered March 2016) and Stoked.
- TeletooncoreCanadian broadcaster for 6Teen (95 episodes) and other Total Drama franchise productions.
- Inferno PicturesminorProduction partner for BUNKS (2015 Youth Media Alliance Awards winner) alongside Fresh TV.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Fresh TV competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Nelvana: Toronto-based kids' animation producer and licensor owned by Corus Entertainment, with a multi-decade track record of youth-focused TV series and global distribution. Comparable to Fresh TV in producing animated and live-action youth entertainment for major broadcasters worldwide.
- Boat Rocker Media: Toronto-headquartered global entertainment company producing scripted, unscripted, and kids/family content for broadcasters and streamers. Comparable to Fresh TV in youth/family production capability and Canadian-origin distribution reach.
- 9 Story Media Group: Toronto-based creator, producer, and distributor of children's and family content, producing animated and live-action series for global broadcasters and streamers. Closely comparable in size, geography, and youth-focused production model to Fresh TV.
- WildBrain: Canadian kids and family entertainment company that develops, produces, and distributes children's content and consumer products, including management of iconic IP libraries. Directly comparable to Fresh TV as a Canadian-headquartered kids content producer with a global licensing footprint.
- Guru Studio: Toronto-based animation studio known for kids' franchises such as Paw Patrol spin-offs and True and the Rainbow Kingdom, producing content for major global platforms. Directly comparable to Fresh TV as a Canadian kids' animation house targeting global broadcasters and streamers.
Broad incumbents
- Spin Master Entertainment: Canadian global children's entertainment and toy company with a large in-house kids' content studio (e.g., PAW Patrol) and major consumer products business. Comparable to Fresh TV in the kids' content + licensing model but operates at significantly larger scale with proprietary toy revenue.
- Lionsgate: Global entertainment company with significant family and kids content production (e.g., Lionsgate Films/Starz). Overlaps with Fresh TV in family entertainment production and global distribution, though Fresh TV is more narrowly focused on youth audiences.
- DreamWorks Animation: Major animated film and TV franchise producer, now part of NBCUniversal, with a deep library of family IP. Comparable to Fresh TV in family/animation franchise production and global licensing, but at substantially larger scale and across theatrical as well as TV.
- Hasbro Entertainment: Toy and entertainment company (parent of eOne) that develops and produces kids and family content tied to its IP library, with global distribution. Comparable to Fresh TV in kids' franchise production and licensing, but operates at far greater scale with owned toy revenue.
Emerging players
- Netflix Animation: In-house animation arm of Netflix producing original kids and family content globally, including deals with Fresh TV for Total Drama. Comparable as a buyer/competitor in the kids' animation space, with rapidly expanding internal production that affects third-party licensing demand.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Fresh TV social profiles
Digital presenceFresh TV compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Fresh TV financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Fresh TV leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Fresh TV subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Fresh TV funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Fresh TV M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Fresh TV
What does Fresh TV do?
Fresh TV develops and produces animated and live-action youth entertainment series for international broadcast. The company creates original TV series, shows, and movies targeted at children and teen audiences (ages 6-18), licensing these productions to major broadcasters including Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, Family Channel, Teletoon, and Netflix. Productions include the Total Drama franchise, 6teen, My Babysitter's a Vampire, Backstage, Stoked, Grojband, and Lucas the Spider.
Is Fresh TV a public or private company?
Fresh TV is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Fresh TV founded?
Fresh TV was founded in 2004. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Fresh TV based?
Fresh TV is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Fresh TV make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Content Licensing to Broadcasters are the primary driver. The others are merchandise and Licensed Goods and youTube Content Distribution.
Who are Fresh TV's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Nelvana, Boat Rocker Media, 9 Story Media Group, WildBrain and Guru Studio. Broad incumbents are Spin Master Entertainment, Lionsgate, DreamWorks Animation and Hasbro Entertainment. Netflix Animation is listed as an emerging player.
Does Fresh TV have an API?
No public API is recorded for Fresh TV.
What industry is Fresh TV in?
Fresh TV's product category is Television Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADACAG, Animated Series Production (TV/Streaming), with a secondary code of MPADACAJ, Kids & Preschool Animation Production. Its NAICS code is 512 and its SIC code is 7812.