Genius Brands International Expands Global Team With the Appointment of New International Sales Agents

New Agents Assigned in Key Categories to Manage Genius Brands' Growing Portfolio of Original Animated Content

BEVERLY HILLS, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/16/15 -- Genius Brands International, Inc. "GBI" (OTCQB: GNUS), a global brand management company dedicated to providing entertaining and enriching 'content with a purpose' for toddlers to tweens, has announced the appointment of two new international sales agents to handle its growing portfolio of original brands, including Baby Genius, Thomas Edison's Secret Lab, Llama Llama, Secret Millionaires Club, and Stan Lee's Mighty 7. In Canada, GBI properties will be represented for multiplatform content distribution by Kaleidoscope Entertainment Inc., and in the Western European markets of France, Germany, Benelux, Spain and Italy, NDRL will represent GBI's content for sales across multiple platforms, as well as licensing and merchandising. The announcement was made today by GBI's Senior Vice President of Distribution Sales, Andrew Berman.

"Nathalie and the NDRL team are industry experts with an intimate knowledge of the marketplace in France and will be the perfect stewards for our brands in their market," said Berman. "And we have a long-standing relationship with Randy, who is the go-to expert for content distribution in Canada, and we are fortunate to have him join us to introduce our growing portfolio of brands to the Canadian market."

Kaleidoscope's founder and President Randy Zalken added, "Having worked with Andy and Amy previously, we know how passionate they are about their 'content with a purpose' and how important it is to get this valuable and entertaining programming out in front of its intended audience. We're proud to have been selected by GBI to introduce their unique and enriching content to the children and parents of Canada and look forward to growing GBI's brands throughout the Canadian marketplace."

"GBI's brands are distinct and exceptional and NDRL has the tailor made approach required when seeking out potential broadcasting and licensing partners," said NDRL's Nathalie Delin. "Western European markets are ready to embrace this type of engaging and fun content for children, and we're very excited to be working with Genius Brands International on expanding the reach of its programming and the scope of its consumer product lines."

About Baby Genius:
For more than ten years, Baby Genius has earned worldwide recognition for creating award-winning products for toddlers. Its catalogue of 500 songs, 125 music videos, and music-based toys features classic nursery rhymes, learning songs, classical music, holiday favorites and more. Expanding the timeless appeal of Baby Genius offerings, Genius Brands International is re-launching Baby Genius in September 2015 with fresh, new designs, new entertainment and an array of new toddler products.

About Thomas Edison's Secret Lab:
Demonstrating how much fun science can really be, the animated Thomas Edison's Secret Lab series follows Angie, a 12-year-old prodigy, and her young science club friends who discover the scientist's ultimate dream lab equipped with everything they could ever imagine, including two of Edison's very last inventions: a hologram that brings Mr. Edison himself "to life," and a whacky robot they bring to life called Von Bolt. In each of the series' 52 11-minute episodes, Edison, in hologram form, encourages and inspires kids through a variety of fun scientific and technological explorations, including physical science, live science, earth science, space science and lots of other fun, whacky, wild and engaging topics.

About Llama Llama:
GBI recently partnered with Penguin Young Readers and author and illustrator Anna Dewdney to lead the worldwide expansion of Llama Llama, the multiple award-winning children's book franchise. With 9.4 million units in print, Dewdney's Llama Llama books have all been New York Times bestsellers with several titles claiming the #1 spot. GBI is creating, for the first time, animated content based on the Llama Llama books for multiplatform distribution. Additionally, GBI is developing a global licensing and merchandising program for Llama Llama across a multitude of categories, including toys, games, apparel, accessories, bedding, and healthy snacks and meals which reflect the core values of the brand. The products are anticipated to launch at retail in the U.S. in 2016.

About Secret Millionaires Club:
Secret Millionaires Club, created in partnership with and starring an animated Warren Buffett, empowers kids by helping them understand the world they live in, teaching them about the impact their decisions have on their own lives and encouraging them to have the confidence to be the best they can be. The series makes it fun for kids to learn to think like entrepreneurs and features a robust list of guest talent including, Bill Gates, Jay-Z, Shaquille O'Neal, Nick Cannon, Gisele Bündchen and Kelly Rowland who play themselves, provide their own voiceovers and share their own life experiences in the context of stories that are relatable and inspirational to kids. The series airs in the U.S. on Discovery Family Channel. The Secret Millionaires Club brand also includes 26 webisodes, a series of DVDs, a book, an online store and the "Grow Your Own Business Challenge," an annual national competition open to kids that encourages and guides kids to create their own original businesses.

About Stan Lee's Mighty 7:
In the 90-minute animated action adventure movie, Stan Lee's Mighty 7, Stan Lee stars as an animated version of himself, a legendary superhero creator, who teaches a crew of alien prisoners and their jailers, who have crash-landed on Earth, how to work together and use their powers to be superheroes. The movie also features an all-star cast, including Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Jim Belushi (The Defenders), Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory), Darren Criss (Glee), Flea (of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers), Armie Hammer (The Lone Ranger), Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives), Michael Ironside (Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising) and Christian Slater (Breaking In). Stan Lee's Mighty 7 premiered in the US in 2014 on Discovery Family Channel.

About Genius Brands International:
Headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, Genius Brands International "GBI" (OTCQB: GNUS) is a publicly traded global brand management company that creates and licenses multimedia content for toddlers to tweens. Led by award-winning creators and producers CEO Andy Heyward and President Amy Moynihan Heyward, GBI creates "content with a purpose," meaning content that is as entertaining as it is enriching. GBI's growing library of content includes the award-winning Baby Genius, Warren Buffett's Secret Millionaires Club, Thomas Edison's Secret Lab and Stan Lee's mighty 7, the first project from Stan Lee Comics, a joint venture with legendary Stan Lee's POW! Entertainment.

A Squared Entertainment, a wholly owned subsidiary of Genius Brands International, is a brand management and licensing company that represents third-party properties across a broad range of categories in territories around the world. The company currently represents Psycho Bunny, a luxury apparel line; From Frank, a humor greeting card and product line; Celessence Technologies, the world's leading microencapsulation company; and Archie Comics, celebrating its 75th Anniversary as one of the most successful and beloved comic book brands of all time.

For additional information, please visit www.gnusbrands.com

About NDRL:
NDRL is a production, distribution and licensing company based in Paris, France. Since 1997, the company goal has been to nurture properties using its knowledge of the "tailor made approach" to get the success it consistently delivers. Since 2003, NDRL has developed its licensing expertise in France, dealing with a large base of licensees covering categories such as publishing, apparel, accessories, back-to-school products, videos and music as well as TV. For more information visit http://www.ndrl.fr/en/

About Kaleidoscope Entertainment Inc.:
Kaleidoscope Entertainment Inc. (KEI), a domestic Canadian distribution company, specializes in providing broadcasters in Canada with quality programming as well as providing pre-buy opportunities on upcoming projects. Through its association with The Fremantle Corporation (TFC) KEI can also offer producers access to the International market. Independent and privately owned, KEI and TFC are looking for ongoing associations for meaningful co-production and licensing opportunities.

GBI MEDIA CONTACT:
Three.Sixty Marketing + Communications
Michelle Orsi/Carol Holdsworth
310-418-6430
Email Contact
805-252-1848
Email Contact

GBI INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT:
PLR Investor Relations
Michael Porter
212.564.4700
Email Contact

Source: Genius Brands International, Inc.

Released March 16, 2015