"Dog Whisperer"
Radar MCN, the digital agency of Australian producer WTFN, sealed a new partnership with American streaming and distribution company Cineverse, which will see it manage the YouTube and Facebook channels of two iconic TV brands, Dog Whisperer and The World of Sid and Marty Krofft.
Radar has created the only official Dog Whisperer channel, exclusively featuring full episodes, as well as shorts, from all nine seasons of the popular series. Fronted by charismatic superstar pet expert Cesar Millan, and with episodes packed with warmth, jeopardy and entertainment, "Dog Whisperer" was National Geographic’s top-rated series for six consecutive years.
The new partnership also sees Radar MCN take over the management of an existing channel – The World of Sid and Marty Krofft. This digital home for the series created by the Kroffts in the 1960s and 1970s, such as "H.R.Pufnstuf" and "Land Of The Lost", already has 100,000 subscribers but will now see its YouTube and Facebook presence refreshed and repositioned under Radar to capitalise on the growing demand for nostalgic TV shows.
Radar General Manager and WTFN’s Chief Commercial Officer Derek Dyson, says: “We are delighted to get the chance to work on Dog Whisperer and create these first ever dedicated YouTube and Facebook channels. As we already run VOD channels for the wildly successful 'Bondi Vet' series and have grown it to become one of the biggest pet content destinations with more than five million subscribers worldwide, we fully appreciate just how popular pets and pet behaviour can be. We will now use our global reputation as ‘pet experts’ to bring the existing fanbase for the show online, as well as find new viewers and cross-promote with our other pet-themed channels to make 'Dog Whisperer' the big digital success we expect it to be.”
Cineverse executive VP of global partnerships, Marc Rashba, said, “The fans and audiences of these powerful franchises find their content across many mediums and devices and there’s no better way to reach them than through these great MCN platforms and with an expert company like Radar.”
Hit shows including "H.R.Pufnstuf" and "Land Of The Lost" were hugely popular series during the late 1960s to early1970s and beyond and Rashba believes that there is still a huge appetite for these shows from old and new fans alike. He continues: “While the series originally targeted family audiences, Cineverse is betting on the huge comic book fan crowds that pack annual TV nostalgia panels and others attracted to the psychedelic oriented episodes”.
Derek Dyson added, “We’re thrilled to be working with this iconic content and producer to bring these hugely popular shows to a wider YouTube audience. We know that nostalgia is a key driver of views across VOD platforms and we’re confident we’ll find many new fans as well.”