Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang are coming to Apple. In a competitive situation, the streaming service has landed a deal with DHX Media to produce new Peanuts content.
Working closely with its subsidiary Peanuts Worldwide, DHX Media will develop and produce original programs, including new series, specials and shorts based on the beloved characters created by Charles M. Schulz.
One of the projects under the deal is original short-form STEM content that will be exclusive to Apple, featuring astronaut Snoopy. Peanuts Worldwide and NASA recently signed a Space Act Agreement, designed to inspire a passion for space exploration and STEM among the next generation of students.
Acquiring an entire library of iconic, globally recognizable characters in mega deals with the goal of building TV universes has become a trend for streamers. Netflix recently made such a pact with The Roald Dahl Story Company for a slate of new original animated event series based on the books from the Roald Dahl library, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, The Twits, and other beloved titles.
Schulz first introduced the world to the Peanuts characters in 1950, when the Peanuts comic strip debuted in seven newspapers. Since then, Charlie Brown, Snoopy and company have made an indelible mark on popular culture. Peanuts animated specials and series air on major networks and streaming services, including ABC, Cartoon Network and Boomerang in the U.S., and Family Channel in Canada. Peanuts also is a hugely popular consumer products brand around the world and has spawned amusement parks attractions and cultural events, with a daily comic strip available in all formats from traditional to digital.
In 2018, Peanuts partnered with NASA on a multi-year Space Act Agreement designed to inspire a passion for space exploration and STEM among the next generation of students. The Peanuts characters and related intellectual property are 41% owned by DHX Media, 39% by Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. — which acquired a stake in DHX earlier this year — and 20% by the Schulz family.
