MAM
Zodiak Kids launches international research department
MUMBAI: Zodiak Kids, Zodiak Media‘s children‘s division, has set up an international research department and promoted François Vallerian to VP, marketing research, Zodiak Kids from his previous position as Marathon Media‘s research manager.
The research lab will provide market information to all Zodiak Kids production companies including Marathon Media (Totally Spies, Redakai), Tele Images Productions (The Basketeers, Extreme Football), The Foundation (Waybuloo, Mister Maker), Zodiak Active (The Qpiz), as well as to its international sales and licensing teams.
The surveys, conducted by independent institutes, will assess Zodiak Kids‘ new developments in order to help creative teams adhere to kids‘ expectations, and also assess the sales potential of its current productions in key territories.
The research unit will focus on three different areas: Commission qualitative and quantitative studies with kids in Europe and North America; Track the performance of Zodiak‘s shows worldwide for its sales team; and monitor key market trends worldwide.
It will look into international property launches, audience hits, changes in kids‘ expectations, developing themes, emerging genres, and changes in interactivity as well as taking a broader look at the evolving relationship between kids & families and media & leisure activities.
One of the first surveys commissioned by the new research lab was an online panel conducted in the USA on the animated series The Basketeers, produced by Tele Images Productions for M6, by Harris Interactive and Aloa Consulting.
The panel revealed excellent results among children 6-11: 77 per cent of them liked the show, and 85 per cent of them judged The Basketeers to be “very different from what they know”. They appreciated the mix of action, adventure, basketball and comedy that, according to 65 per cent of them. It appeals to girls just as much as boys. These results are very encouraging for sales of the programme in the US.
Brands
ZEEL transfers syndication business, invests Rs 505 crore in IP push
Restructuring, stake buy and FCCB moves signal sharper content strategy
MUMBAI: In the content economy, owning the story is half the battle monetising it is the real game, and Zee Entertainment Enterprises is doubling down on both. The company has approved the transfer of its syndication and content licensing business to its wholly owned subsidiary ZI-IPR Enterprises, alongside an investment of Rs 505 crore aimed at strengthening its play in content intellectual property (IP) acquisition, management and monetisation. The move, effective April 1, 2026, will see the business transferred on a slump sale basis at book value, including all associated assets, liabilities and commercial rights effectively consolidating IP operations under a more focused structure.
At its core, the restructuring signals a strategic shift. As content consumption increasingly fragments across digital and global platforms, the value of IP lies not just in creation but in how efficiently it can be distributed, repackaged and monetised across markets. By housing its syndication engine within ZI-IPR Enterprises, ZEEL appears to be building a more agile and scalable ecosystem, one that can better extract value from its vast content library while adapting to evolving distribution models.
But the company’s ambitions are not limited to restructuring. ZEEL has also approved an investment of up to Rs 20.09 crore in Culture of Real Experiences (CORE), acquiring a 51 per cent stake in the entity. The move expands its footprint into the broader creative and experiential space, suggesting a push beyond traditional broadcasting into areas where content, culture and immersive experiences intersect.
At the same time, ZEEL has moved to tidy up its financials, approving the redemption of $23.9 million in outstanding foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCBs) and cancelling an unused $215.1 million commitment. The twin steps are expected to ease pressure on its treasury, freeing up capital and improving financial flexibility as the company invests more aggressively in its IP strategy.
Taken together, the decisions reflect a company in recalibration mode streamlining legacy structures, sharpening its focus on content ownership, and exploring new avenues for growth. In a market where the lines between television, streaming and experiential entertainment are increasingly blurred, ZEEL’s latest moves suggest it is not just creating content, but building a system to make that content travel further and pay better.
