Over at Canadian Business, Quentin Casey has a nice write-up on DHX Media, a growing children’s entertainment company based in Halifax, and its leader, Michael Donovan. DHX has always been on Canada’s entertainment radar, but by acquiring a number of high-profile IPs and a handful of other media houses, its blip has been getting steadily larger.
Casey writes:
“According to one analyst, DHX’s library of animated characters now ‘overshadows’ that of Disney. The Mickey Mouse corporation became the biggest brand in family entertainment by taking years to develop new characters and properties, then stoking demand by limiting DVD releases and other access to “the Disney vault.” But in an age of endless cable channels, binge watching and YouTube, this carefully controlled distribution model looks increasingly antiquated. Donovan, who started out in the movie business and won an Oscar in 2003 for producing Michael Moore’s Bowling for Columbine documentary, created a media company for the Netflix era, where once beloved shows are held in massive digital libraries, sold to streaming services, and viewed on demand, often on laptops, tablets and phones. Viewers used to accept their entertainment in morsels; now we want an all-you-can-eat buffet. And DHX has a big enough pantry to satisfy that appetite.”
Check out the full profile at Canadian Business.
