Nickelodeon has entered into an exclusive multi-territory agreement with YouTube sensation CKN Toys to develop original content for Nickelodeon-branded linear and digital platforms.
The agreement was created and brokered by Haven Global, CKN’s worldwide licensing agent, which will partner with Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products across multiple territories.
CKN Toys features seven-year-old Calvin road testing and unboxing the best and newest toys in the world. With more than 13 million YouTube subscribers and over 12 billion views, CKN Toys has grown to become one of Australia’s largest YouTube channels, attracting massive global audiences across the US, the UK, the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Brazil and Australia.
“CKN Toys has grown to become one of the most popular YouTube channels in the world because kids and parents alike love Calvin’s sense of fun and play, and his good-natured personality,” says Jules Borkent, EVP Content & Network Strategy, Nickelodeon International. “We’re looking forward to developing content that taps into all the things fans already love about CKN Toys and giving it a distinct Nickelodeon look and feel.”
Nickelodeon will develop and produce an exclusive original short-form pre-school series that features both Calvin and his three-year-old brother Kaison, tapping into their unscripted, spontaneous and fun narrative style. The series will come to Nickelodeon and Nick Jr.-branded linear and digital platforms, and will be produced by Nickelodeon Australia.
Tom Punch, Haven Global’s founder and MD, says: “CKN Toys is a massive worldwide hit, especially appealing to boys aged three to eight years old. Calvin and Kaison’s infectious and authentic enthusiasm when road-testing toy superheroes, vehicles, construction kits and playsets have turned them into real tastemakers.”
Mark Kingston, Senior Vice President of International, Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products, adds: “Haven and Nickelodeon have been partners for decades, so it’s exciting to have the opportunity to develop a consumer products plan that embodies the fun and playful nature of CKN Toys.”
With catchphrases such as “Oh my goodness!”, “Oh Wow!” and “Yes, I did it!”, CKN Toys began in March 2015 and quickly grew, with Calvin and Kaison road-testing the best toys in the world.
