With the Global TV Demand Awards approaching , it is exciting to consider which shows might take out the awards for each category. Masha and the Bear has made some brilliant achievements this year and so it is no surprise the Russian cartoon is a solid contender for the Most In-Demand Children’s Series Worldwide category. This article will cover the series’ demand over 2021, as well as its levels of travelability and franchisability, and possible reasons for its continued success - even after thirteen years since its first episode.
Current Demand
Masha and the Bear, created by Russian animator, Oleg Kuzokov, and produced by Animaccord Animation Studio, follows a young girl named Masha and her fatherly friend, a retired circus bear. The show, which is loosely based on a Russian folk tale, was first aired in 2009 and reached 100 billion views on Youtube in September of last year. One of its episodes was even recognized by Guinness World Records as the most watched animation on the streaming service. This significantly high view count is well-represented in the level of demand for the series, also.
The chart below shows the demand for Masha and the Bear over the year of 2021. It had an average of 36.2 times more demand than the average series worldwide, while its highest point over the year was 40.4 times more demand than the average show worldwide. This is an exceptional amount of demand for a show as only 0.2 percent of all shows in the market have reached this level.
Travelability and Franchisability
The chart below shows six dimensions of measurement worldwide for Marsha and the Bear over the past 12 months. The series has 101 times more travelability, which measures the popularity of a show outside of its home market, than the average show worldwide. This is an exceptional level as only 0.83 percent of all TV shows in the market have reached this level of travelability. The show also has an exceptional level of longevity, with 32.9 times more longevity than the average show worldwide. Longevity measures how well a title’s demand is maintained overtime and is often a significant factor in the success of children’s programming. Masha and the Bear, like many other well-performing children’s shows, such as Spongebob Squarepants and Peppa Pig, is over a decade old and is still very relevant in its genre.
Another interesting measurement on the chart above is franchisability. Masha and the Bear has an exceptional level of franchisability, which refers to how much spin-off potential a show has. It has 33.1 times more franchisability than the average show worldwide. Masha and the Bear currently has two spin-off series, Masha’s Tales and Masha’s Spooky Stories, which were both released in 2016.
Diversity of Markets
As noted earlier, Masha and the Bear has a very high level of travelability. This can be seen in the number of different markets that have a high level of demand for the series. The chart below shows the global demand for Masha and the Bear over 2021. The list is definitely an indication of the diverse interest in the children’s series. Brazil is second on this list after the show’s home market of Russia, with 11.9 times more demand than the average show over the year. This is followed closely by Ukraine, with 11.8 times more demand than the average show, and Italy, with 11.64 times more demand than the average show. The United States also had high demand for Masha and the Bear over 2021, with 11.3 times more demand over 2021 than the average show.
Factors for Success
It is clear Masha and the Bear had a very high level of consistent demand over 2021, which makes the show a significant contender in the coming Global TV Demand Awards’ most in-demand children’s series category. One interesting factor in the show’s success could be to do with the way children have been spending time of their own. A Kidscreen study conducted last year found that a large number of children like to watch content in their alone time - with 75 percent of participants selecting Youtube as their top platform of choice. Masha and the Bear reached a record number of views on the platform last year, which could indeed be a reflection of the study’s findings, as well as the link between Youtube and younger audiences.
A Category Winner?
Whether it was to do with the show’s long-established airtime or utilization of the Youtube streaming service, 2021 was a very successful year for Masha and the Bear in terms of demand and travelability. With the Russian animation’s diverse range of markets, many with outstanding levels of demand, it was understandable the show has received the recognition it has. With this in mind, it will be exciting to see how Masha and the Bear performs in the Global TV Demand Awards at the end of this month.
