Kartoon Studios’ Mainframe Studios surges on stron business
September 30, 2024
Kartoon Studios has provided a business update for its affiliated animation production arm and largest revenue unit, Mainframe Studios. The Company is reporting that Mainframe Studios is moving toward continued growth amid a strong business rebound following the settlement of the WGA and SAG strikes. The studio has secured series orders for over 145 episodes, strengthening a continuing pipeline through 2025 and 2026. It presently has four series in production with industry giants, including Spin Master, Sony Kids and Disney.
“Over the past year, Mainframe Studios has experienced a significant increase in deal flow, signaling a strong business recovery, following the resolution of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) disputes in late Q3 and early Q4 of 2023,” said Brian Parisi, Chief Financial Officer of Kartoon Studios. “In the second quarter of 2024, Mainframe Studios’ production demand rebounded following the resolution of labor disputes. We have built a highly scalable infrastructure and continue to enhance operational efficiency.”
President and Chief Creative Officer of Mainframe Studios, Michael Hefferon, added: “There has been significant growth in the number of productions and production opportunities – especially for content produced for 2025. Our success comes at a time when we are celebrating our 30th anniversary. We pioneered the first CGI animated series, ReBoot, and our technical innovations continue to this day as we deliver feature film-quality animation within a television series budget. It is truly an exciting time for our company.”
Mainframe Studios has four series currently in production for streaming services and leading broadcasters. They include the hit series Unicorn Academy for Spin Master, which premiered on Netflix, and the hit series SuperKitties for Sony Kids and Disney+. Mainframe Studios is also producing an unannounced 80 x 11-minute episodes of a 2D animated series.
In addition, Mainframe Studios recently announced that it is co-producing the animated kids series Andrew the Big BIG Unicorn with Pirate Size Productions and Infinite Studios. The ABC (Australia), CBC (Canada), and SRC (Canada) are the commissioning broadcasters, and Kartoon Studios will retain international distribution, licensing, and merchandising.