Family-Friendly Cartoonium Adds ‘Care Bears’, ‘Strawberry Shortcake’

As Maker Studios continues to diversify its offerings, it is buttressing its existing properties with more desirable content. The multi-channel YouTube network’s Cartoonium channel has inked a deal with AG Properties to add two family-friendly programs–Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake–to its library.

Cartoonium is Maker’s attempt to reel in the millions of toddlers who have made channels like Sesame Street into YouTube success stories. At launch, Cartoonium only offered an original series from ShayCarl and a few syndicated programs originating from online cartoon channel Kabillion.

Through the new deal, two of American Greetings‘ most popular holdings will join the weekly schedule. The iconic Care Bears are now on their fifth series, though I doubt much has changed for the sugary-sweet ursine characters since they first appeared on greeting cards in the 80s. Strawberry Shortcake also began in the 80s and re-launched in the 00s.

“Parents who grew up with Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake can now introduce these beloved shows to a new generation of fans,” said Glasgow Phillips, Maker’s SVP of creative. “We created Cartoonium as a place where parents can spend time on YouTube with their kids, and the partnership with AG Properties will give families another reason to subscribe to Cartoonium and check in daily for new content.”

With young children’s programming performing better the best among YouTube’s paid channels, Maker is smart to snap up as much quality content from that genre as it can. Its two new shows remind parents that they don’t have to pay a cent to provide their children with quality YouTube entertainment.