Kids
Viacom18’s plan for Sonic
MUMBAI: Viacom18 is gearing up to launch a new channel, Sonic, by mid-December.
Sonic, the fifth channel from the joint venture company between US media conglomerate Viacom Inc and Network18 Group, will target the 10-17 year old.
Viacom18 believes that this TG is largely underserved and untapped and Sonic will bridge the gap between the kids and the youth channels. Incidentally, the JV also runs kids channel Nick and youth channel MTV, apart from Hindi general entertainment channel Colors and English entertainment channel Vh1.
“Sonic will cater to the audience aged between 10-17 years of age. They are extremely influential and are drawn towards thrills, action and edge of the seat excitement. At the same time, the category is underserved,” said Sonic and Nick EVP and GM Nina Elavia Jaipuria.
The channel will predominantly be an animation channel with 80-85 per cent animated content, said Jaipuria.
However, Sonic will have to tap into a category which has about Rs 2 – 2.5 billion revenue potential, while the cost of original animated content and distribution (carriage) are very high.
“Yes, the cost of original content is very high and distribution also needs huge investment, but we as a group (Viacom18) have been a challenger in the industry. We aim to reach 40 million households in first phase of launch,” Jaipuria said.
The channel will be paid from the day of launch and will be distributed through Sun18 Media Services.
The channel will soon roll out a 360 degree marketing campaign spanning TV, radio, print and outdoor. It has Vizeum India as the media agency while Scarecrow Communications is the creative agency of the new channel.
UK-based Red Bee has created the logo and the on-air packaging of the channel.
The channel will be launched with four feeds – English, Hindi, Marathi and one more HSM regional language, which Jaipuria said will be disclosed later.
Sonic will have six hours of original programming daily. It will air shows including Shaktimaan (animated version of India‘s first superhero). Big Animation is producing the 26-episodic series for the channel. Other animated shows include – Kung Fu Panda – The Legend of Awesomeness, Jackie Chan Fantasia, King Kong, Power Rangers and Superstrikas.
On weekend, the channel will air action movies.
Kids
Mukta Arts and Green Gold ink MOU to animate iconic film IPs
Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan to spawn animated shows plus features.
MUMBAI: When classic hindi movie meets animation, the result is a fresh reel of nostalgia with a cartoon twist. Mukta Arts Ltd. and Green Gold Animation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on animated shows and feature films drawn from Mukta Arts’ four-decade treasure trove of iconic IPs. The partnership taps Mukta’s SGM Animation Studio launched in 2025 as its dedicated animation and games arm and Green Gold’s proven track record in building scalable, homegrown franchises. Creative teams from both sides have already kicked off discussions, with the first project currently in development.
The slate will draw inspiration from landmark Mukta films including Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak, Saudagar and Iqbal, plus character-led spin-offs from those universes. The aim is to reimagine these stories for today’s young, global audiences while preserving their emotional core.
Green Gold Animation (home of Chhota Bheem) founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka said, “This partnership with SGM Studios allows us to apply our experience in building long-lasting animation IPs to a truly iconic film catalogue. Together, we aim to create animated worlds that are rooted in these legendary stories, yet designed to connect with today’s young, global audiences.”
Mukta Arts Ltd. filmmaker and founder Subhash Ghai added, “Mukta Arts has always believed in creating stories with lasting emotional value. Through animation, we are extending our IP into a new medium for the next generation.”
In an industry where timeless tales never go out of fashion, this collaboration promises to bring beloved characters back to life with a modern, animated glow proving that some stories are too good to stay in live-action. Stay tuned for the first animated frame to drop.
