Planeta Junior celebrates fifteen years betting on the creation of new content

The company, in the hands of Grupo Planeta and De Agostini, is present in 33 countries and has subsidiaries in Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Eastern Europe and Turkey.

Planeta Junior, a company owned by the Planeta and De Agostini Group, a leader in Europe in the creation and marketing of children's and youth entertainment content and properties, turns 15 years old. The company, which in its beginnings acted as a distributor and agent of other people's properties, mainly of classic series, is today a European benchmark in its business segment both for the quality and variety of its catalog and for its ability to create its own content.

The involvement in the entire value chain of television series has resulted in 7 original series since 2012 (La Abeja Maya 3D, Sendokai, Bubble Bip, Egyxos, Heidi 3D, Mutant Busters y Oliver Rock) in co-production with prestigious partners such as TVE, TV3, Kotoc, Famosa, Triacom, Toonz Animation, Musicartoon, RAI, TF1, ZDF and Studio 100 among others. Also noteworthy are the projects in collaboration with the companies of the Gruppo De Agostini in Italy, such as DeAgostini Editore or DeA Digital.

In 2015 Planeta Junior began the production of Mutant Busters y Oliver Rock. The first of the series is an animated comedy that takes place on an earth invaded by mutants. The series incorporates digital elements such as applications and augmented reality and presents a new format: the last minutes of each episode can be broadcast independently both on television and on other digital platforms.

The second, Oliver Rock, tells the adventures of a youth rock band that lives in the dreams of a child. With an attractive visual proposal, the series will mix different styles and combine action, humor and a lot of fun based on music. Oliver Rock will be the company's first live-action production, made with Sony Music and the Spanish production company Isla Audiovisual.

Planeta Junior, present in 33 countries and with subsidiaries in Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Eastern Europe and Turkey, has more than 1,000 clients internationally and its series are broadcast on more than 70 television channels around the world. The company's portfolio is made up of more than 200 series and more than 5,000 half-hours aimed at children aged 12-14.

In its beginnings, the Planeta Junior catalog was made up of classic series such as Heidi, Maya, Vicky, Pipi Calzaslargas and the properties of Sesame Street, productions that are part of the memory of several generations and whose success lies in the fact that they can be shared by parents and children. In these 15 years, Planeta Junior has reached agreements for the distribution and representation of rights to the properties of major players in its sector such as Studio 100, Sanrio, Nelvana, Playmobil, Rainbow, DreamWorks Animation or Saban Brands with renowned characters from Winx Club, Super 4, Mia and Me, Hello Kitty, Vicky the Viking 3D.

In this sense, it is worth highlighting the agreement that, in 2014, Planeta Junior signed with DreamWorks Animation, one of the most powerful global entertainment companies in the world with properties such as Shrek, Penguins of Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon, Turbo Fast, Puss in Boots, Dinotrux o King Julien. Planeta Junior became the distributor and agent of all these and other properties for southern and central-eastern Europe.

These alliances and its consolidation as a creator of new content place Planeta Junior as one of the most dynamic and competitive companies in its sector on a European scale. Added to this leadership situation is its international vocation, which makes it the first entertainment company genuinely focused on the European market, developing strategies in all Mediterranean countries and Central Europe.

An example of how the company understands the life of a character is Heidi. This fiction was born in 1975, became fashionable again in 2000 with its relaunch by Planeta Junior and was renewed in 2015 with its 3D version. Heidi It has been broadcast in more than 120 countries, has had more than 300 licensed products and continues to enjoy the affection of the public, 40 years after its first broadcast in Europe. The new Heidi in 3D format has been broadcast in Spain on Clan Televisión from Monday to Friday since last May 18, achieving on Tuesday the 19th a share of 4.2% and more than 450,000 viewers, thus exceeding the channel's average for the month of May (2.3%). Likewise, the premiere in Italy, by the public channel RAI, is scheduled for the month of June.

Luis Ortega, new Country Manager for Spain and Portugal

Luis Ortega Bordes has joined as Country Manager for Spain and Portugal at Planeta Junior. MBA in Business Administration and Management from ESADE and Master in Marketing and Commercial Management from ESIC, Ortega has been Licensing Manager Iberia at Hasbro from 2011 to 2015, developing the licensing business in Spain and Portugal for the different areas of merchandising, publishing and promotions. Previously he was Director of Licensing and Purchasing at Valencia CF and worked in companies dedicated to the marketing and management of sports events and rights such as Valmor Sports and VOS Sportsmarketing.

In his new role, Luis Ortega will report to Diego Ibáñez Belaustegui, International Commercial Director, and will be responsible for Planeta Junior's business development and strategy in the Spanish and Portuguese markets. Likewise, their work will also consist of identifying global strategies to expand the company's business with the aim of offering new opportunities to the company.