Although it’s only available domestically so far, Germany’s Kixi has been making a splash in the global streaming scene lately with its scope and rapid growth.

The SVOD launched in 2011 but really hit its stride over the past three years, inking deals with more than a dozen new content partners, quadrupling its annual revenue and tripling its subscriber base, says director of acquisitions and programming Sascha Stradtmann. Targeting kids ages three to 13, Kixi’s offering now includes 1,000 titles that span live-action and animated TV series, films and factual programming. It is an avid buyer of both international and local content, featuring a good mix of German-language shows and dubbed programming from other regions.

Thanks to a pandemic-fuelled viewing surge and cord-cutting in general, the platform is now considered the go-to source for library kids programming in Germany. “Before Kixi existed, parents had to buy DVDs or use VHS recordings of their kids’ favorite movies and series if they wanted to watch content that wasn’t on linear TV,” says Stradtmann, adding that this market gap is what inspired Kixi to launch in the first place.

The streamer focuses on children’s content with educational value for its target demo of six- to nine-year-olds, and it prefers episodes that are 11 minutes or longer. Acquisitions in 2022 include Odd Squad (Sinking Ship); Babar, Franklin and Max & Ruby (Nelvana); and homegrown hits Coconut the Little Dragon 2: Into the Jungle and The Little Vampire (pictured) from Munich’s Leonine Studios. On the film side of things, German titles such as Annaluise & Anton, Emil and the Detectives, Charlie & Louise—The Double Lotto, The Flying Classroom and The Wild Chicks from Geiselgasteig’s Bavaria Media have all joined the lineup this year.

Going forward, Stradtmann also wants to add more classic German library programming to Kixi’s mix, noting that while the restoration of older titles is expensive, it could set Kixi apart as a steward of German culture. “These programs are not just a business—they are a cultural heritage,” he says.

Kixi is available to German consumers via app, website, cable provider Telekom Deutschland and Amazon Prime.

This story originally appeared in Kidscreen‘s Oct/Nov 2022 magazine.