BOOMi from the television show Super BOOMi, Up Studios and the National Hockey League (NHL) have entered into a partnership to produce a new series showcasing hockey in China.
The partnership is the result of numerous collaborations between the NHL and Up Studios, at various NHL events in China, including the O.R.G. NHL China Games exhibition series featuring teams from the National Hockey League that advances the NHL’s commitment to grow the game globally and the League’s international strategy.
Created by hockey fan and animation director, Trevor Lai, BOOMi has rocketed to stardom in China with over 2.6 billion views online and number one ratings on every major children’s television broadcaster in the country, including market leader CCTV. Jointly invested in by Up Studios and media giant Tencent, Super BOOMi has also signed an international distribution deal with Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana, a leading international producer and distributor of children’s animated and live-action content. The series recently launched in English on popular kids channel, Treehouse in Canada, as well as internationally on YouTube as part of Nelvana’s Red Bear Animation channel launch.
With a focus on fun, Super BOOMi Hockey Hero is the first CG-animated series ever to focus on a high-tech display of hockey skills that shows the youth of all ages how to play like NHL superstars Connor McDavid, Johnny Gaudreau, Elias Pettersson and more. More importantly, the show is a cornerstone of grassroots content that will grow awareness of ice hockey and the NHL in China, the largest new market for the sport in the coming decade.
With about 75 new ice rinks being constructed in China each year, and thousands of new students joining hockey camps across the nation, the Super BOOMi Hockey Hero series is pioneering a new form of engagement with the fanbase while teaching the positive values of the sport to families.
Up Studios’ relationship with Tencent and leading broadcasters also means the series will reach a potential audience of hundreds of millions of youth and parents. The first episode is scheduled to debut on Super BOOMi’s dedicated Tencent Video channel as well as on the Tencent Sports channel during the Stanley Cup Final, followed by television broadcasters.
The show is designed to appeal to audiences both in China and North America, and there are plans to launch the series in markets around the world and through licensing partnerships.