2016–2019
Penguin Young Readers and author/illustrator Anna Dewdney signed an agreement with Genius to develop animated content and manage licensing for the Llama Llama franchise in February 2016. The products, from apparel to toys, are slated to arrive in 2016.[21]
In February 2016, Genius Brands and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment announced a multi-year marketing and distribution agreement for four existing properties plus three under development. Existing properties under the deal are SpacePop, a new original Baby Genius series, Secret Millionaires Club and Stan Lee's Mighty 7. The new Baby Genius series would be relaunched on Amazon.com in September.[22]
The company paired for another Sony agreement in April 2016. This agreement was with Sony Music Entertainment's Legacy Recordings for the Genius Brands Music label. The label would have two age-focused imprints, for toddlers, Baby Genius, and children-to-tweens, Kid Genius.[23]
In September 2016, GBI had teamed up with Rob Minkoff and Shane Morris on a preschool animated series. The series is Rainbow Rangers, featuring others of the rainbow magical girls, who protect the earth. The main characters designed were by Brittany Myers and Ruben Aquino. At the time, the company expected to have the concept debut as a Q3 2017 special and a full series start in Q2 2018.[24]
Kid Genius channel expanded to a small network of on demand channels with its offerings first on Comcast on Demand with a Baby Genius TV channel.[25] The company launched Kid Genius Cartoons Plus! on Amazon Channels starting on September 28, 2017.[26] Plus included all GBI programming plus other acquired programming.[27] Genius Brands Network in July 2019 added content from kids gaming company Tankee to its channels.[28]
In January 2017, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment expanded its distribution deal to all properties and took an equity stake in Genius Brands.[29] In November 2017, the company filed with the SEC to resell 1.65 million shares of stock.[30]
Genius issued a convertible debt round bringing in $4.5 million in August 2018 which was led by financier Robert Wolf of 32 Ventures and was oversubscribed bringing in both existing and new investors.[31] In September 2018, Bank Lemi extended a $6 million bank facility allowing Genius to produce a second season of Llama Llama.[32]
