In an extensive, multi-year agreement forged by the NBCU Television & New Media Distribution group, Hulu has secured the exclusive subscription streaming rights to one of the highest-rated kids television properties, CURIOUS GEORGE(R). The deal will bring past and future seasons of the two-time Emmy(R) Award-winning series, as well as television specials and feature-length original movies from everyone's favorite monkey, exclusively to Hulu. All of the offerings will be available to stream in Hulu's commercial-free Hulu Kids environment.
Beginning March 31st,
Hulu will become the exclusive subscription streaming home to all nine seasons - over 100 episodes - of CURIOUS GEORGE(R) TV series, which is produced by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment's production arm, Universal 1440 Entertainment.
Hulu will also be the U.S. premiere home to new seasons of the series over the coming years. In addition, television specials including Curious George: Swings Into Spring, Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest and Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas, along with the feature-length originals Curious George: Follow That Monkey, Curious George: Back To The Jungle and future direct-to-TV specials will become available to stream exclusively on Hulu.
"CURIOUS GEORGE(R) is one of the most beloved characters in kids programming and we are delighted to bring the TV series to Hulu," said Craig Erwich, SVP, Head of Content, Hulu. "As we continue to add the best of premium television to our service, this partnership represents both an expansion and a commitment to our kids and family offering."
"We are thrilled to partner with
Hulu on CURIOUS GEORGE(R), and we salute them for recognizing the value of this important children's series and the significance of its addition to their kids and family offering," said Frances Manfredi, President NBCUniversal TV & New Media Distribution.
"For 75 years, CURIOUS GEORGE(R) has transcended generations, inspiring and delighting children and parents around the world," said Glenn Ross, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Universal 1440 Entertainment. "Through this landmark alliance, television's acclaimed property has found the ideal digital home in
Hulu Kids, ensuring that Curious George's extraordinary legacy and longevity carry on for many years to come."
Since its television debut, CURIOUS GEORGE(R) has consistently ranked as the highest-rated children's animated preschool series on
PBS Kids. The series has earned the esteemed distinction of being the top children's animated preschool series across all TV networks for five of its nine seasons. In addition to winning two Emmy(R) Awards for Outstanding Children's Animated Program, the
PBS Kids program has also earned a total of 12 Emmy(R) nominations across various categories.
All CURIOUS GEORGE(R) episodes, specials and feature-length originals will be made available to stream in Hulu's commercial-free
Hulu Kids environment which is designed to let kids and parents discover the best of kids TV including hits from content partners including Nickelodeon, Disney,
Cartoon Network and PBS. Recommended programming within
Hulu Kids is restricted to other commercial-free children's programming so kids can quickly and securely jump to their favorite shows. The CURIOUS GEORGE(R) franchise will be available to stream in both Hulu's No Commercials and Limited Commercials subscription plans.
ABOUT
Hulu Hulu is a premium streaming TV destination that offers hundreds of thousands of hours of the best of current season programming, premium original content, films and full seasons of hit series to subscribers with limited commercials for $7.99 per month or commercial free for $11.99 per month.
Hulu is the only streaming subscription service that offers current season content from 5 of the 6 largest U.S. broadcast networks. Since its launch in 2008,
Hulu has been at the forefront of entertainment and technology and continues to redefine TV by connecting viewers with the stories they love.
ABOUT NBCUNIVERSAL TELEVISION & NEW MEDIA DISTRIBUTION, U.S. & CANADA NBCUniversal Television and New Media Distribution is responsible for the sales and distribution of NBCUniversal product to all forms of television within the U.S. and Canada. This includes current television and film product as well as content from NBCUniversal's vast library (Universal Pictures, Focus Features, Universal Television, Universal Cable Productions,
NBC Late Night properties, etc.) distributed in basic cable, pay cable and subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) markets. The division is also responsible for the sales of NBCUniversal content to non-theatrical markets including airlines worldwide.
ABOUT THE CURIOUS GEORGE TELEVISION SERIES CURIOUS GEORGE(R) the television series is designed to inspire kids to explore science, math and engineering in the world around them in a fun and entertaining way. Based on the best-selling Curious George books by Margret and H.A. Rey, the series expands George's world to include a host of colorful characters and original locales, while maintaining the charm of the beloved books. Each half-hour episode includes two animated stories followed by short live-action pieces showing real kids who are investigating the ideas that George introduces in his stories. The series encourages inquiry and curiosity, promotes hands-on exploration and shows parents and caregivers how to support children's science- and math-related play. All nine seasons of the CURIOUS GEORGE(R) television series are a production of Imagine Entertainment, WGBH Boston, and Universal 1440 Entertainment, LLC.
ABOUT UNIVERSAL 1440 ENTERTAINMENT, LLC The Universal 1440 Entertainment banner develops and produces live-action and animated non-theatrical productions directly for distribution in all media worldwide for Universal Pictures Home Entertainment . Since its formation in 2005, the group has assembled an exceptional roster of animated family fare, including the Daytime Emmy(R)-winning Curious George television series for
PBS KIDS; the latest installment of the beloved The Land Before Time series, The Land Before Time: Tale of the Brave; as well as a string of hugely popular
BARBIE and
MONSTER HIGH movies, based on the world-renowned Mattel-branded properties. The group also has successfully built upon some of Universal's highly celebrated live-action franchises,
SCORPION King, Death Race, Jarhead, The Man With The Iron Fists and the terrifying Chucky movies, as well as debuting the Tony Award(R)-nominated hit Broadway stage production Bring It On: The Musical and the epic sci-fi adventure hit Tremors 5: Bloodlines. Among projects currently readying for release are the explosive action-adventure Jarhead 3: The Siege; the adrenaline-fueled actioner Hard Target 2, and the high-energy dance drama Honey 3.
ABOUT UNIVERSAL PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (UPHE) is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is part of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.
