BBC Studios has partnered with Prime Video to bring a curated lineup of its kids programming to India. The companies launched the subscription-based Prime Video Channels BBC Kids and BBC Player in the region yesterday. 

BBC Kids is a standalone option targeting kids and family audiences, while BBC Player offers a broader catalogue that features BBC Kids content, as well as adult-skewing shows and movies.  

The BBC Kids service features popular British toons such as Hey Duggee, Go Jetters, JoJo & Gran Gran and Sarah & Duck (pictured). Also in the mix are a number of kids titles airing in India for the very first time, such as Mr. Stink, Billionaire Boy, Gangsta Granny, Jamie Johnson, M.I. High and Junior Bake Off.

“India is a really important market for us, and BBC Kids offers a huge range of kids content,” says Stanley Fernandes, VP of distribution for South Asia at BBC Studios. According to Fernandes, the BBC Kids edutainment approach has resonated with audiences in India while reaching a wide demo, making the programming perfect for a standalone service.

In other BBC news, the public broadcaster in the UK has picked up animated series Transformers: EarthSpark from Hasbro’s prodco eOne. Paramount co-produces this CG-animated series, which is based on the popular Hasbro toy brand. The first 10 episodes of the series will arrive July 24 on kids channel CBBC and BBC iPlayer, with the next batch rolling out at a later date. 

The Transformers franchise is also growing, with its very first CG-animated feature film, Transformers One, heading to the big screen in September 2024. Two sequels are in development to follow up the latest live-action pic Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, which hit theaters last month and has earned more US$400 million at the global box office so far.