Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) and Warner Bros. - the two Time Warner companies - have strengthened their ongoing partnership with a global agreement to create more original content for the Boomerang channel seen in South Africa on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform on channel 302.
Turner Broadcasting Africa didn't release the Boomerang channel information and press release to South Africa's media when it was handed out at the MultiChoice Content Showcase in Mauritius earlier this month and that South African press and TV critics were not invited to.
However the information is highly relevant and applicable for Boomerang as seen on DStv in South Africa - in fact is punts only its viewership in South Africa - and I now finally got it and can now share it.
Turner Broadcasting in a press release says the channel now reaches 2.4 million kids in South Africa monthly.
According to TBS, Boomerang is now the number 2 kids channel for kids aged 4-14, 4-9 and boy 4-14, just behind Cartoon Network which ranks number one in South Africa.
The agreement between Turner Broadcasting and Warner Bros. Animation - which represents the first-ever original content being developed exclusively for Boomerang - includes nearly 450 half-hours of programming from Warner Bros. Animation that will premiere on Boomerang across the African continent.
"Turner Broadcasting has a very strong kids and family business around the world and our exciting new partnership with Warner Bros. presents a number of new opportunities that will help strategically grow the Boomerang brand," says Christina Miller, president and general manager of the Cartoon Network and Boomerang channels.
"Through this expanded relationship with our corporate partners, we will create new content that will engage fans across a variety of screens and platforms and further grow these timeless franchises that we'll leverage not only across Boomerang, but also our global kids and family portfolio businesses," says Christina Miller.
"With the television landscape becoming more and more crowded, we are extremely fortunate to have one of the largest animation libraries, with some of the world's most iconic and revered characters," says Sam Register, the president of Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Digital Series.
"This deal presents an exciting creative opportunity to explore this vast collection, to develop new and compelling programming based on these beloved characters, and to introduce them to new generations of families".
Premiering on Boomerang will be the first of Boomerang's new original series from Warner Bros. Animation, Bunnicula - a new animated comedy series based on the bestselling children's book of the same name.
Bunnicula follows the paranormal comedy adventures of Bunnicula, the vampire rabbit who instead of drinking blood, drains the juice of carrots and other vegetables to boost his abilities.
Be Cool Scooby Doo! is a new 22-minute animated comedy series with the Scooby gang, back with a modern twist. This time the gang is trying to solve their own personal problems as they solve further mind-bending mysteries.
In Wabbit is a Looney Tunes Production. Boomerang viewers will see Bugs Bunny in new shorts that find the rabbit matching wits against classic characters like Yosemite Sam and Wile E. Coyote, along with brand-new foes.
