Warner Bros. Discovery South Asia (WBD) has announced an exciting summer programming slate for its kids’ channels Pogo, Cartoon Network, and Discovery Kids. The lineup features a mix of new anime arrivals, beloved homegrown IP, and fresh seasons of popular shows.
On Pogo, young viewers will be introduced to the new Indian IP “Jay Jagannath,” which follows the adventures of the child form of Lord Jagannath and his devoted follower Balaram. The channel will also air the sequels to the blockbuster crossovers “Chhota Bheem” and “Little Singham.” In addition, several films and mini-series featuring these iconic characters will be showcased throughout the summer.
Cartoon Network is bringing the heat with new Japanese anime arrivals such as “One Piece: Land of Wano” and “My Hero Academia” Season 4. American animation fans can look forward to new seasons of “Teen Titans Go!” while French animation enthusiasts will be delighted with new episodes of “Grizzy and the Lemmings.”
Discovery Kids will not be left out, with new seasons of the popular India-Singapore animation “Titoo.” Across all three channels, over 200 premieres will air, catering to the diverse entertainment preferences of kids in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
Uttam Pal Singh, head of the kids’ cluster, South Asia, at Warner Bros. Discovery, emphasized the importance of catering to local audiences through regional storytelling and expanded language offerings. “Localization is part of a very strong strategy to help us engage with kids,” Singh said. “India is so diverse and some regions have a very strong affinity to their mother tongue. So, we expanded our language base to reach kids in seven different languages on Pogo and six Indian languages on Cartoon Network.”
WBD’s commitment to anime is evident in its continued acquisition of programming in the genre, particularly through its partnership with Toei Animation. Singh acknowledges the growing popularity of anime among pre-teens and older audiences, filling a need gap in local animation. “Anime is able to cater to their requirements quite nicely. And I think that’s why it’s finding a very strong acceptance over here,” he said.
While there are no immediate plans for South Asian-themed anime in collaboration with Japanese studios, Singh hinted that WBD is listening to audience feedback via social media. “They want to be connected and served with animation, which are global blockbusters already, so we are in the phase of offering them to this first, and maybe in time we’ll look into that opportunity of creating unique stories with Indian characters and collaborating with Japanese studios,” he said.
