Sony Pictures Television – Kids, formerly Silvergate Media UK Limited, is a British television production and brand licensing company based in New York City and London founded in 2011 by Waheed Alli and William Astor. It is a division of Sony Pictures Television that owns and develops children's programmes and intellectual property.
History Silvergate Media was created in 2011 as part of a management buyout, when Alli purchased the rights to Octonauts and The World of Beatrix Potter from Chorion, a company he was previously chair of.
In 2013, Silvergate launched its television distribution arm. In 2016, Netflix and Silvergate agreed to a three-year multi-territory deal for Octonauts, Silvergate's series about underwater explorers.
The company signed a deal with Netflix, in collaboration with Mercury Filmworks to produce Hilda, an animated television adaptation of comic Hilda by Luke Pearson. Season 1 was released on September 21, 2018. Season 2 was released on December 14, 2020. The series is available in 130 countries.
Silvergate also produced Sunny Day for Nickelodeon, which started airing on August 21, 2017.
In 2016, the investment fund Shamrock Capital Advisors acquired a 51% equity of the company, with the valuation reported to be "between £70 and £80 million".
On December 10, 2019, Sony Pictures Television announced that it would acquire Silvergate Media for US$195 million. The deal marks SPT's first in-house studio devoted primarily to children's animation since Sony Pictures Animation's diversification into television.
In February 2022, former Disney Jr. Senior Vice President of original programming and Sony Pictures Family Entertainment Group executive Joe D'Ambrosia was named Executive Vice President and General Manager of Silvergate Media, succeeding co-founder Waheed Alli, who stepped down as CEO the following summer.
In November 2022, Silvergate Media's trading name was changed to Sony Pictures Television – Kids, although the company name was not changed.
In December 2023, the company's valuation was reduced to US$50 million in impairment charges. In addition, co-founder William Astor stepped down as chairman at the end of the month.
On September 19, 2024, the studio relaunched their "Octonauts & Friends" content hub channel as Kidzuko, which offers content from other Sony-owned properties in addition to properties already held by SPTK as well as entirely new exclusive content.
In March 2026, two years after Sony Pictures Television Kids sued Wanda Studios, the Chinese entertainment arm of Wanda Group over the Octonauts franchise under a long-running lawsuit back in November 2024, Sony Pictures Television Kids announced it had settled the lawsuit by selling its Octonauts franchise along with the 49% stake in its parent holding company of the series Vampire Squid Productions to Chinese entertainment & education arm of Wanda Media, Wanda Studios, giving the Chinese entertainment arm full ownership of the British holding company Vampire Squid Productions as well as giving full ownership of the Octonauts franchise.
Filmography Television series Title Creator(s) / Developer(s) Seasons First aired Last aired Network / Platform Co-production with Notes Octonauts 5 2012 present CBeebies Brown Bag Films Mainframe Studios Season 2 onward; continued from ChorionRights held by Wanda Studios Peter Rabbit Cathal Gaffney 2 2016 CBeebies Nickelodeon Brown Bag FilmsPenguin Books Rights held by Paramount Global Content Distribution in North America and India Sunny Day Paula RosenthalSarah Blondine Mullervy 2 2017 2020 Nickelodeon Nick Jr. Amazon Prime Video Pipeline StudiosNickelodeon Animation Studio Rights held by Paramount Global Content Distribution Hilda Luke PearsonStephanie SimpsonKurt Mueller 3 2018 2023 Netflix Atomic Cartoons Mercury FilmworksNobrow Press Flying Eye Books Chico Bon Bon: Monkey with a Tool Belt Bob BoyleMichael J. GoldbergKurt MuellerGabe Pulliam 4 2020 Brown Bag Films Octonauts: Above & Beyond 6 2021 present Mainframe Studios Rights held by Wanda Studios The Creature Cases Gabe PulliamAdam IdelsonBryan KornAmy KoudelkaKurt MuellerAlex Red 7 2022 Netflix Tencent Video TeamTOTencent Video Productions Produced as Silvergate Media from 2022 to 2023 SuperKitties Paula Rosenthal 3 2023 Disney Jr. Disney Kids & Family Rights held by Disney Platform Distribution Upcoming Messi and the Giants Guy ToubesDan Creteur rowspan="12" 2027 rowspan="12" Disney Channel Leo Messi ManagementSony Music VisionAtlantis Animation Bewitched rowspan="5" rowspan="11" rowspan="11" Flying Bark Productions The Partridge Family Wheel of Fortune Sony Pictures Television Game Shows Shark Tank rowspan="4" Stuart Little Sharks on Wheels Bryan KornChantal Arisohn Hotel Whiskers rowspan="5" The Powers Sow You Entertainment Slayer Family Band Untitled series CMedia Charlie's Angels Floresta Productions
Specials Title Released Network Co-production with Octonauts and the Amazon Adventure 2013 CBeebies Brown Bag Films Octonauts and the Mariana Trench Adventure Octonauts and a Very Vegimal Christmas Octonauts and the Over, Under Adventure 2014 Octonauts and the Great Arctic Adventure Octonauts and Operation Deep Freeze 2015 Octonauts and the Great Swamp Search 2016 Octonauts and the Caves of Sac Actun 2020 Netflix Mainframe Studios Octonauts and the Great Barrier Reef Chico Bon Bon and the Very Berry Holiday Brown Bag Films Octonauts and the Ring of Fire 2021 Mainframe Studios Upcoming
Feature film Title Released Network Co-production with Hilda and the Mountain King 2021 Netflix Mercury FilmworksNobrow Press Upcoming -->
Scrapped series Title Creator(s) / Developer(s) Network / Platform Co-production with Notes Made by Maddie Paula Rosenthal Nick Jr. Mainframe Studios
See also Adelaide Productions Sony Pictures Animation Screen Gems (1921–1946) List of animation studios owned by Sony
References
External links Active official websites: