NELVANA PARTNERS WITH POLYGON PICTURES TO FIND THE NEXT BIG HIT IN ANIMATION

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For Immediate Release

TORONTO, MAY 3, 2023 – Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana, a world-leading international producer, distributor, and licensor of children’s animated and live action content, announced today a development deal with Japanese creative powerhouse, Polygon Pictures, to deliver stand out Japanese originated animated content for kids. The new development collaboration leverages Polygon’s premier position and reputation in the Japanese market, with Nelvana’s successful track record of partnering to bring Japanese animated properties, such as Bakugan™, Beyblade, and Cardcaptor Sakura, to global audiences.

Assisting Nelvana and Polygon with this new venture is veteran animation expert Rika Sasaki. Rika has deep experience managing Japanese IP for global export from her previous roles at d-rights Inc., ADK Emotion and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions.

“Nelvana has enjoyed tremendous success over the years working with several notable Japanese content companies on such brands as Bakugan™, Beyblade, and Cardcaptor Sakura, and we are excited to team up with Polygon Pictures to uncover the next big global hit” said Colin Bohm, EVP Content and Corporate Strategy, Corus Entertainment. “We’ve long admired Polygon Pictures, a truly innovative and creative studio, and we couldn’t be happier to be working together.”

The collaboration will focus on Japanese properties aimed at younger audiences, drawing inspiration from both existing legacy content and creating new perspectives such as lifestyle, publishing, and design.

“Over the past 10 plus years, Doug Murphy, President and CEO of Corus Entertainment, Colin, and I have had many impassioned discussions about how we can synergise our strengths, to create global hits out of properties originating from Japan” said Shuzo Shiota, President of Polygon Pictures. “With the help of Rika, I believe the time is finally ripe to achieve this goal. I am beyond excited at the prospect of what this partnership will bring.”

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About Corus Entertainment Inc. 
Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX: CJR.B) is a leading media and content company that develops and delivers high quality brands and content across platforms for audiences around the world. Engaging audiences since 1999, the company’s portfolio of multimedia offerings encompass 33 specialty television services, 39 radio stations, 15 conventional television stations, digital and streaming services, animation software, technology and media services. Corus is an internationally-renowned content creator and distributor through Nelvana, a world class animation studio expert in all formats and Corus Studios, a globally recognized producer of hit scripted and unscripted content. The company also owns full-service social digital agency so.da, lifestyle entertainment company Kin Canada, leading 2D animation software supplier Toon Boom and children’s book publishing house, Kids Can Press. Corus’ roster of premium brands includes Global Television, W Network, HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, Magnolia Network Canada, The HISTORY® Channel, Showcase, Adult Swim, National Geographic, Disney Channel Canada, YTV, Global News, Globalnews.ca, Q107, Country 105, and CFOX, along with streaming platforms STACKTV, TELETOON+, the Global TV App and Curiouscast. Corus is the domestic advertising representative and an original content partner for Pluto TV, a Paramount Company, which is the leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service. For more information visit www.corusent.com.

About Nelvana
Entertaining kids for over 50 years, Nelvana is a world-leading international producer and distributor of children’s animated and live-action content. Nelvana produces a stable of award-winning and globally renowned brands that focus on comedies, preschool and action series, and ancillary consumer products programs. Nelvana’s content airs on Corus Entertainment’s kids channels in Canada and in over 180 countries around the world. The Nelvana library has well over 5,000 episodes of programming and has received over 70 major international program awards including Emmys® and Canadian Screen Awards. Visit the Nelvana website at nelvana.com.

About Polygon Pictures
Founded in July 1983, Polygon Pictures is one of the largest digital animation studios in Japan and produces cutting-edge entertainment content in keeping with our mission to “do what no other has done, in unparalleled quality, for all the world to see and enjoy.” Including our subsidiary studios in Malaysia and India, we have brought together over 300 creators from around the world. Making use of innovative new technologies, we devote our days to producing digital content for all types of media. Our notable works include Knights of Sidonia, multiple Transformers series, Star Wars Resistance, Stillwater, Pingu in the City, and more. For more information, visit our website at http://www.ppi.co.jp.

For media inquiries please contacts:
Brittany Bell
Corus Entertainment, Associate Publicist
(416) 479-3384
brittany.bell@corusent.com

Vanessa Obeng
Corus Entertainment, Publicity Manager
(416) 479-6082
vanessa.obeng@corusent.com