A New Netflix acquisition: StoryBots, children’s shows producer

According to Jibjab, this Netflix acquisition will help spread the Spiridellis’ preschool entertainment and instructional franchise into new territories. JibJab Media creators Gregg and Evan Spiridellis, siblings who founded StoryBots, have announced that Netflix has bought their children’s media business.

The deal’s specifics were kept under wraps. CNBC cites an anonymous source as saying that Netflix doesn’t care about the price tag.

Netflix Acquisition History:

Netflix has only acquired three companies in its history: in 2017, it bought Mark Millar’s comic book publishing company, Millarworld, and in 2018, it spent less than $30 million for Albuquerque, New Mexico’s ABQ Studios, a television and film production facility.

Ask the StoryBots” is a Netflix animated series that employs a variety of mediums to answer children’s questions, such as “Why is the sky blue?” The show, which premiered in 2016, uses a combination of 3D, 2D, claymation, stop motion, and live-action to answer the questions. Snoop Dogg, Edward Norton, Whoopi Goldberg, and Wanda Sykes have all appeared as guests on the show. Additionally, Netflix has a season of “StoryBots Super Songs” available on the service. Netflix’s “Ask the StoryBots” third season is set to premiere this fall.

Netflix acquistion : person holding a remote control
Photo by freestocks.org on Pexels.com

Netflix and the Spiridellis brothers plan to develop additional StoryBots original programming, including series and short-form specials, and also plan to grow into new areas under the new arrangement. For the first time in Netflix’s history, the firm has purchased a preschool educational content provider.

Melissa Cobb, Netflix’s vice president of original animation, noted in announcing the partnership that “Ask the StoryBots’ has a proven track record of distilling complicated concepts into bite-sized lessons that are hilarious and enjoyable for young kids and rewarding for parents.” Adding Gregg and Evan to the Netflix family is an honor, so we can’t wait to develop out the fantastic and whimsical StoryBots universe and discover new ways to excite our increasing member base of families all over the world.

Founded in 1999 by the Spiridellis brothers, a Brooklyn-based media company renowned as JibJab Media has gone on to become enormously successful thanks to its political satires and other viral material, as well as its digital greeting cards and other viral content (now owned by Office Depot). Currently, more than one billion people have viewed the educational music videos created by StoryBots on the internet, according to the company.

“Together with Netflix, our goal is to build StoryBots the foremost educational entertainment brand for connected kids and families globally,” Evan and Gregg Spiridellis said in a statement when talking about the Netflix acquisition. For the first time in our lives, we have the chance to bring something truly great into the world.”

Catapult Capital, a private equity group, purchased JibJab, which is now based in Los Angeles, in February 2019 for an unknown sum. The Spiridellis brothers are no longer associated with JibJab, according to a representative for the company. JibJab previously garnered $17.9 million from investors such as Sony Pictures Entertainment, Will Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment, Polaris Capital, and St. Cloud Capital, according to Crunchbase.com.


If you like the content we offer do follow us on the social media and subscribe to newsletter so stay connected. We do not spam your inbox, kindly review the website policy.

Leave a Comment