Underscore Talent, a brand new 360-degree talent management company founded by Studio71 vets Reza Izad, Dan Weinstein, and Michael Green, has signed preschool-aged YouTube phenoms Vlad & Niki.
The three-year-old kids’ channel follows the adventures and comedic antics — comprising live action, animation, and music — of two young Russian brothers aged seven (Vlad) and five (Niki) — while also featuring appearances from their mother, Victoria, and baby brother, Christopher (see below).
All told, Vlad & Niki has amassed 63 million subscribers on its English-language hub, and more than 150 million subscribers globally across 16 channels dubbed into 13 different languages. Vlad & Niki garner 293 million monthly views in the U.S. and has nabbed 80 billion lifetime views globally.
Underscore says it will work to develop and guide the franchise’s trajectory within the global kids’ content marketplace, collaborating in close tandem with the boys’ parents, Sergey and Victoria Vashketov. Plans include furthering content offerings into syndication, developing new live-action and animated formats, additional ventures in the gaming space, brand deals, and new merchandise launches.
“Reza and Dan have a proven track record with content creators whose careers began on YouTube,” Sergey, who serves as CEO of Content Media Group FZC
, the production company behind Vlad & Niki, said in a statement. “Their vision for our brand is aligned perfectly with our goals and aspirations.”Vlad & Niki has already accomplished a lot since taking YouTube by storm, including inking global licensing deals with Playmates Toys and Zuru Toys that will roll out to retail in early summer. Vlad & Niki’s global licensing ventures are led by Australia-based Haven Global, alongside Retail Monster in the U.S. and WildBrain CPLG in the EMEA and Russia. The duo have also released five mobile games to date for both Android and iOS, as well as a merch line for sale on their flagship website featuring apparel, accessories, drinkware, and home goods.
In addition to Vlad & Niki, Underscore reps family channels The LaBrant Family, The Royalty Family, and The Onyx family, as well as Alex Wassabi, Alex Costa, Kayla Nicole, De’arra & Ken, John Kanell of Preppy Kitchen, Shilo & Bros., and Joy Wilson.
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