'Pokémon' Pluto TV Channel Launches October 22
Pluto TV used Agility! Its speed rose sharply!
When Wildbrain says “coming soon”, they mean it. The Canadian kids and family entertainment giant has announced that the three channels of theirs that are launching on Pluto TV this month are doing so on Tuesday, October 22. That not only includes the highly-anticipated Pokémon channel, but Strawberry Shortcake & Friends and Go Go Gadget! Their arrivals were being advertised as “coming soon” over the last week on the kids channels of the free ad-supported television service.
Wildbrain in August reached an agreement with agreement with The Pokémon Company International to become the only distributor of the single-IP Pokémon FAST channel. The official channel description reads “Explore the world of Pokémon with Ash Ketchum and his partner Pokémon Pikachu as they make new friends, meet powerful Pokémon, and aim for Ash’s ultimate goal of becoming Pokémon Master!” According to the press release reads it will provide fans with “an accessible and curated stream of episodes” across the first 22 seasons of the original Pokémon anime, through the end of the Sun and Moon series. Hopefully the “curation” amounts to the format of the channel, something like several-hour blocks from each era. The other interpretation of course would be incredible selectivity of episodes, which would be withholding more episodes than the ones either never part of the English dub package or long-pulled from circulation.
The other two channels feature Wildbrain-owned properties, or at least the DIC or DHX-made series based on them. The “Friends” alluded to that join Strawberry Shortcake on its channel include Rainbow Ruby, Madeline, and Polly Pocket, while Ripley’s Believe it or Not!, Sonic the Hedgehog (probably all three ‘90s series), Super Mario Bros. (ditto) and Archie (likely Archie’s Weird Mysteries) find itself on Go Go Gadget!
Lara Ilie, WildBrain’s vice president of AVOD and FAST, said: “This partnership with Pluto TV marks a milestone as we launch the first-ever single-IP FAST channel for the iconic Pokémon brand. FAST presents an ideal opportunity to grow audiences for brands like Pokémon—ones with deep content libraries that are loved by kids and families around the world. We’re thrilled to work with Pluto TV to share Pokémon, along with Strawberry Shortcake and Inspector Gadget, with their community of fans.”
“We’re proud to be the exclusive launch partner for the first-ever single-IP Pokémon FAST channel, alongside iconic brands like Strawberry Shortcake and Inspector Gadget. This collaboration not only expands our family-friendly content but also allows parents to introduce their childhood favorites to a new generation," stated Kevin Sullivan, who is Pluto’s vice president of Content Partnerships. “At Pluto TV, we’re dedicated to delivering timeless stories that resonate with audiences of all ages, creating shared experiences for families, and offering television for the kid at heart. By making beloved characters such as this accessible to everyone, anytime, and completely free, we continue to solidify Pluto TV as the go-to destination for the best in entertainment.”
The press release being so pertaining to Pluto TV means progress on bringing the channel to other platforms was not addressed.
Source: WildBrain