‘Angry Birds’ Franchise Launches Animated Video Series

19 Mar, 2013 By: Erik Gruenwedel

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Rovio Entertainment March 16-17 launched the first branded online video series based on the “Angry Birds” social game franchise.

Called “Angry Birds Toons,” the 52-episode series features 3-minute animated videos playable on smartphones, tablets, Roku and select VOD distributors.

Notable to videos is the fact Finland-based Rovio bowed the series directly via the game’s app base of about 1.7 million – thereby circumventing traditional distribution channels (pay-TV and ISP) and marketing, including social media.

BTIG Research analyst Richard Greenfield said the launch marks another milestone whereby content creators bypass traditional media distribution to control and monetize their content.

Greenfield said “Angry Birds Toons” is not a one-time event, but rather an ongoing strategy to build a deeper engagement with the global Angry Birds game-playing user base.

Theoretically, Rovio could stockpile enough "Angry Bird Toons" content to launch a linear channel online like Vevo, create a linear TV channel on MVPDs and/or sell a bundle of content to a Netflix, Amazon or Hulu for SVOD. Rovio is already putting the "Angry Bird Toons" into traditional free video-on-demand, via Comcast and others.  

“While Rovio puts teasers for its games out on YouTube, with its in-app video segments, the advertising created is sold by Rovio, with Rovio keeping 100% of the revenue generated,” Greenfield wrote in a March 18 blog . “We expect more and more content creators to look for new ways of reaching consumers, unencumbered by the traditional media gatekeeper/distribution system.”

 

 

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