A Scholastic-branded streaming app has been launched by one of the children’s media outfit’s portfolio companies, 9 Story Media Group.
The free, ad-supported service will offer Scholastic library titles like Clifford the Big Red Dog and The Magic School Bus, aiming at an audience of kids aged 2 to 12 and their families. At launch, it is available via Roku and Amazon Fire TV, the two biggest streaming gateways in the U.S., with other distribution platforms to follow.
Scholastic last year invested $186 million in 9 Story, deepening a 20-year relationship between the companies. The new AVOD service follows successful video-on-demand launches of Scholastic titles by 9 Story’s digital team across multiple platforms earlier this year.
The streaming venture is a partnership with Future Today, a longtime player in ad-supported streaming that has previously teamed with brands like Moonbug, Lego, and Chuck E Cheese.
In all, the new app will have more than 400 hours of library fare from Scholastic, including Goosebumps, Clifford’s Really Big Movie, The Baby-Sitters Club and Animorphs. The 9 Story library also includes Garfield and Barney & Friends.
“We’re seeing strong demand for quality nostalgic content, and the Scholastic brand is trusted by families everywhere,” said Elianne Friend, VP of Digital & Distribution at 9 Story. “Future Today was the ideal partner to help us bring Scholastic’s beloved stories to new audiences. We’re excited to build on this momentum and continue expanding Scholastic Entertainment’s incredible catalog across global streaming platforms.”