Wildbrain and the Pokémon Company announce new Pokémon FAST streaming channel
Canadian media company Wildbrain has announced a deal with The Pokémon Company International to launch a new platform exclusively streaming the Pokémon anime series. The launch date for this new platform has not been announced as of this writing. Wildbrain has confirmed that it will be rolled out first in the United States, with launches in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. When and if the service will be expanded into other international markets is not currently known.
Wildbrain has announced that this new platform will be a free ad-supported streaming televsion (FAST) service. Fans can expected a platform that operates similarly to existing FAST platforms such as Tubi and Pluto. As noted in Wilbrain's announcement, this is the first time Pokémon will be available to viewers via a FAST service. This partnership with The Pokémon Company International is part of Wildbrain's larger strategy to promote and distribute other FAST services. Wildbrain's other FAST services were watched by viewers a total of 7.5 billion minutes in 2023 — that translates to 125 million hours; notably there are only 8760 hours in a year.
Wildbrain has also announced that this new platform has licensed the first 22 seasons of Pokémon. This will allow viewers to watch episodes up to the Sun & Moon – Ultra Legends season, which originally aired in English in 2019. Before this deal, the streaming rights to the Pokémon anime were split up among multiple streaming services, with availability highly dependent on location. The launch of Wildbrain's new FAST channel will unify most episodes of the Pokémon anime series on a single service and make them available to Pokémon fans in most of the English-speaking world.
Wildbrain's announcement explains in more detail:
"WildBrain, a global leader in kids’ and family entertainment, has struck an agreement with The Pokémon Company International to become the only distributor of the single-IP Pokémon FAST (free ad-supported television) channel, starting in the United States, followed by Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
- Wildbrain
The partnership will see WildBrain secure and launch new single-IP FAST channels with leading platforms across these regions for 22 seasons of the iconic original animated Pokémon series, featuring Ash Ketchum and his partner Pokémon, Pikachu. Fans will be able to follow the duo’s adventures as they aim to achieve Ash’s goal of becoming the world’s top Pokémon Trainer across multiple story arcs, including The Beginning (112 x 22’), Gold and Silver (157 x 22’), Ruby and Sapphire (191 x 22’), Diamond and Pearl (189 x 22’), Black and White (142 x 22’), XY (141 x 22’), and Sun and Moon (145 x 22’). WildBrain will also be selling select direct advertising inventory for the Pokémon channels through its Media Solutions team."
The partnership between Wildbrain and The Pokémon Company international will not effect the existing licensing deals in place for the latest Pokémon anime series, Pokémon Horizons. For the foreseeable future, Netflix will continue to stream Pokémon Horizons in most international markets. Similarly, the stop-motion series Pokémon Concierge airs as a Netflix original anime series. The first four episodes of Pokémon Concierge debuted at the end of 2023. The production of additional episodes has been confirmed, though a release date has not been announced.
Wildbrain's company website can be visited here. The official Pokémon website can be visited here.
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