Kartoon Studios’ Kids and Family Streaming Business Records Rapid Growth

Streaming Business Achieves 82% Year-Over-Year Improvement in First Half of 2023

Kartoon Channel’s User Rankings in the Apple App Store Remain at 4.9; Above All Major Competitors

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Aug. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kartoon Studios (NYSE American:TOON) today announced its streaming service business, including Kartoon Channel!, which premiered just three years ago, continues to grow across all major metrics, led by viewership and consumption.

In the Apple app store, Kartoon Channel! is now ranked by users at 4.9 out of 5 stars, besting most of its major competitors, including both YouTube Kids, and Disney+.

Kartoon Channel! has firmly established itself as a top-tier entertainment destination for safe, responsible content for children, which is positive, non-violent, and without negative stereotypes. The service has reached nearly 100% penetration of U.S. television households and is available across a broad range of platforms, including iOS, Android Mobile, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Android TV, Roku and The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Comcast, Cox, Dish, Sling, YouTube, Samsung, and LG smart TVs and more.

Kartoon Studios’ Chairman & CEO, Andy Heyward stated: “With superb management, led by Todd Steinman, along with proven content and strong positive positioning, we are building a valuable distribution platform and asset base to last for years to come. Overall, we could not be more excited by the outlook for Kartoon Channel! and the growth opportunities in the coming months and years.”

Kartoon Studios

“While many of the streamers have chased viewers at the cost of profits, Kartoon Channel! has taken a measured approached, since launching the service three years ago. Our investment has been steady, but responsible, and our streaming business is very near profitability, which would be a monumental achievement, relative to other companies in our industry,” said Todd Steinman, President of Toon Media Networks, who oversees the Company’s Kartoon Channel!, Ameba, and Frederator Networks.

Internationally, under the oversight of Paul Robinson, President of Kartoon Channel! Worldwide and former Managing Director of Disney Channel Worldwide, the service continues to expand in key territories around the world, spanning North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

About Kartoon Channel!
Available everywhere and anywhere kids are today, Kartoon Studios’ Kartoon Channel! is a family entertainment destination that delivers 1000s of episodes of carefully curated and safe family-friendly content. The channel features original content, including Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rainbow Rangers, and Shaq’s Garage, starring Shaquille O’Neal and Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski. Kartoon Channel! also delivers animated classics for little kids, such as Peppa Pig Shorts, Super Simple Songs, Melodee’s, Finny the Shark, Strawberry Shortcake, as well as content for bigger kids, like Angry Birds and Yu-Gi-Oh! Kartoon Channel! also offers STEM-based content through its Kartoon Classroom, and Spanish language programming through the KC En Espanol collection.

Kartoon Channel! is available across multiple platforms, including iOS, Android Mobile, Web, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Comcast, Cox, Dish, Sling TV, Android TV, Tubi, Xumo, Samsung and LG Smart TVs.

Internationally, Kartoon Channel! is currently available in key territories around the world, including) Africa and Sub-Sahara Africa (StarTimes), Australia and New Zealand (Samsung TV Plus), Germany (Waipu), Philippines (Tapp Digital) and Maldives (Dhiraagu). Kartoon Channel! Branded blocks are also currently available daily in 69 countries across the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Europe.

About Kartoon Studios
Kartoon Studios (NYSE AMERICAN: TOON) is a global end-to-end creator, producer, distributor, marketer, and licensor of entertainment brands. The Company’s IP portfolio includes original animated content, including the Stan Lee brand, Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, on Kartoon Channel!; Shaq’s Garage, starring Shaquille O’Neal, on Kartoon Channel!; Rainbow Rangers on Kartoon Channel! and Netflix; the Netflix Original, Llama Llama, starring Jennifer Garner, and more.

In 2022, Kartoon Studios acquired Canada’s WOW! Unlimited Media and made a strategic investment becoming the largest shareholder in Germany’s Your Family Entertainment AG (FRA:RTV), one of Europe’s leading distributors and broadcasters of high-quality programs for children and families.

Toon Media Networks, the company’s wholly-owned digital distribution network, consists of Kartoon Channel!, Kartoon Channel! Worldwide, Frederator Network, and Ameba. Kartoon Channel! is a globally distributed entertainment platform with full penetration of the U.S. television market and international expansion underway with launches in key markets around the world, including Germany, Malaysia, India, Africa and Sub-Sahara Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines and Maldives. Kartoon Channel! and Ameba are available across multiple platforms, including iOS, Android Mobile, Web, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, Pluto TV, Comcast, Cox, Dish, Sling TV, Android TV, Tubi, Xumo, Samsung and LG Smart TVs. Frederator Network owns and operates the largest global animation network on YouTube, with channels featuring over 2000 exclusive creators and influencers, garnering billions of views annually.

For additional information, please visit www.kartoonstudios.com

Forward Looking Statements: Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, our ability to generate revenue or achieve profitability; our ability to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms, if at all; the potential issuance of a significant number of shares, which will dilute our equity holders; fluctuations in the results of our operations from period to period; general economic and financial conditions; our ability to anticipate changes in popular culture, media and movies, fashion and technology; competitive pressure from other distributors of content and within the retail market; our reliance on and relationships with third-party production and animation studios; our ability to market and advertise our products; our reliance on third-parties to promote our products; our ability to keep pace with technological advances; our ability to protect our intellectual property and those other risk factors set forth in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in the Company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Thus, actual results could be materially different. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

MEDIA CONTACT :
pr@gnusbrands.com

INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT :
ir@gnusbrands.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7a42bfa7-9538-427e-b202-b0b8a9b180f0