Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) Asia, a division of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), announced that My Nick Jr. will next launch in Malaysia via its collaboration with Telekom Malaysia Berhad™ IPTV service, HyppTV by end of the year, making it the second Asian market to launch and its first introduction in Southeast Asia. My Nick Jr. was recently launched in China.
A first of its kind personalised edutainment kids’ service created by Nickelodeon, My Nick Jr. allows parents to curate and customise their children’s multiplatform linear viewing experience around 11 educational themes – whether it is on TV, PC, tablet or mobile phones. Targeted at children from 2-7 years old, the advertisement-free personalised kids’ service allows children to learn in a safe, supervised environment while maximising their enjoyment watching hundreds of their beloved Nick Jr. episodes in English, Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin (switched on demand), including titles such as Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go!, Team Umizoomi and Ni Hao Kai Lan. The language options will be offered progressively over the next few months from its launch date.
“Nick Jr. is about giving children and their parents ‘A Smart Place to Play’. Our preschool shows are both smart and fun, powered by great stories, relatable characters and character-led curriculum that have been our hallmark. In this age of personalisation, My Nick Jr. is a great example of how we’re responding to the explosion of multiplatform consumption, while giving our partners an innovative multiplatform play. Having just launched My Nick Jr. in China, we are excited to expand this service into Malaysia through our collaboration with HyppTV,” said Mark Whitehead, Executive Vice President & Managing Director, Viacom International Media Networks Asia.
My Nick Jr. allows parents to create a customised profile and schedule for their child, according to their child’s age and gender, and 11 educational themes identified within the programs in Nick Jr.’s extensive library of preschool content including – Problem Solving, Memory, Creativity, Enthusiasm, Reasoning, Math, Foreign Language, Respect, Friendship, Science and Nature, and Curiosity. My Nick Jr. also constantly adapts to the preferences of each child, who may at any time use the app to rate each episode. Parents may choose desired viewing durations, can be sent email ‘report cards’ summarising what their children have watched and which topics have been covered within the viewed episodes, and use the shows for discussions with their children.
My Nick Jr.’s launch in China marked the first time the service is offered in two languages in one market in the world. Available to subscribers of iVmall, an Internet video service platform operated by Shenzhen Video Mall Network Technology Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of SMIT, the launch in China follows successful debuts of the service in France, the UK and in the U.S. The service in China is available at mnj.ivmall.com.cn and downloadable on both iOS and Android devices in China.
“Although there are many animation shows in today’s edutainment market in China, there is disparity in the quality of strong content and production quality. Additionally, most of these shows offer similar experiences, with little differentiation,” said Mr. He Shiguang, President of Shenzhen Video Mall Network Technology Co. Ltd. “However, My Nick Jr. is a personalised edutainment service carrying excellent content, which will surely offer a differentiated user experience for both parents and children in China.”
My Nick Jr. was first launched in France through CanalSat, a unit of Vivendi SA, in 2012. It has also launched in the UK through Virgin Media for its TiVo customers and will soon launch in the U.S. through Verizon.