Decode Enterprises, the distribution subsidiary of DHX Media Ltd., has announced a raft of international deals for the award-winning, animated preschool series Poko. Produced by Halifax Film, Decode’s sister company at DHX, the stop-motion show and is currently in its third season on CBC in Canada.
Poko aims entertain young children while teaching simple strategies to help them cope with everyday childhood frustrations and mishaps. The show revolves around a light-hearted, fun-loving preschooler who explores the world around him with the help of his favourite stuffed animal, Mr. Murphy, and his mischievous canine pal, Minus.
Discovery Kids has acquired non-standard and standard television rights to all three seasons of Poko in Spanish for the U.S., with Discovery Kids Latin America acquiring non-standard rights for season three in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Decode has also sold all 109 episodes to Italy’s RaiSat, and the first 26 installments to Polmedia’s Mini Mini cable and satellite channel. Turkish digital broadcasting platform DigiTurk has acquired season three, and has renewed its license on seasons one and two. Additionally, Hong Kong’s ATV has committed to seasons two and three, Korea’s digital satellite Skylife has picked the first two seasons for its Kids-Talk-Talk channel, and Pacific Bridge has obtained home video rights for Korea. In Australia, ABC2 has signed up to air season two.
‘These deals illustrate the advantage of bringing Decode and Halifax together under DHX Media,’ says Neil Court, president of Decode Enterprises Ltd. ‘Poko, along with Halifax’s other impressive children and family shows, complements Decode’s production output.’
Decode Enterprises represents the international rights for Poko and all of the children and family series in the Halifax Film catalogue. The combined library of Decode Ent. and Halifax Film consists of more than 1150 half-hours of animation and live-action series. The DHX Media library totals more than 1700 episodes, with a focus on programming for children and youth.
