Moonbug Entertainment veterans Jiella Esmat and Karine Ahton have launched 8 Lions Entertainment, a London-based IP growth and development company. Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Esmat was most recently Chief Revenue Officer of Amuse Animation & Amuse Studios, and previously held senior roles at Moonbug, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures and NBCU. Co-founder Ahton, was former General Counsel of Moonbug and Envision Racing, and previously worked at Sanrio and ITV.

8 Lions will harness the power of data driven insights to develop, create, and grow properties that resonate with kids and teens worldwide. By blending traditional entertainment expertise with digital-first Creator-led IP strategies 8 Lions plans to scale IP globally and across all derivatives, with an emphasis on creative synergies between the East & West.

“We are sourcing and creating diverse, engaging entertainment that reflects the genuine interests of kids and teens,” commented Jiella Esmat, Chief Executive Officer, 8 Lions. “Young people’s consumption habits have changed irreversibly and continue to evolve. We’re ensuring content is available to them in ways that recognise and cater to their expectations.”

8 Lions’ launch team includes Lovely Chavez as VP Digital Strategy & Commercial Partnerships, former Director of Channels International at Moonbug and Channel Manager at Wildbrain. Helen Wong as Senior Commercial Manager, previously Market Development Manager for APAC and Senior Channel Manager at Moonbug, and Fletcher Williams as Corporate & Strategy Executive, former Head of Acquisitions and Strategy at Voldex Entertainment, and ex Moonbug and NBCU.

Jerome Mazandarani, ex-Managing Director of Manga Entertainment and Crunchyroll UK is advising on Anime and adult animation related projects.

Prior to its official launch, 8 Lions represented YouTube sensation Cosmic Kids in negotiations for their first ever TV series, Jaime’s Yoga Adventures, a newly announced Sky Original. The company has also partnered with Acamar Films for its preschool hit BING for distribution and L&M in the Middle East and North Africa. 8 Lions is also working with Jordan-based YouTube-first studio Pixitoon developing a 360 growth and monetisation strategy.

8 Lions is actively seeking partnerships for IP creation, distribution, co-production, and L&M.