MarVista takes Yo-Kai Watch across Latin America


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Gabriel Miramar-Garcia

| 26 May 2016




MarVista Entertainment has secured a pan-regional broadcasting deal on Disney XD Latin America for Yo-Kai Watch, the phenomenally popular children’s series that is breaking ratings and retail records in Japan.



yo kai watchThe series premieres in June across all five of Disney XD Latin American feeds, reaching Mexico, Central America, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela and Uruguay, among others.

“From the moment we first saw Yo-Kai Watch we knew it was going to be a global sensation,” said Fernando Szew, CEO, MarVista. “Launching this phenomenal series on Disney XD throughout Latin America is the ideal scenario for us, and we couldn’t be happier. We’re looking forward to continuing [this] spectacular momentum.”

The show was first introduced two years ago in Japan. It continues to be the top-rated animated show for kids four to 12 years old on TV TOKYO. In Japan alone, the franchise has sold over $2 billion in merchandise in the first 15 months – in addition to robust sales of games, music and publishing.

In the US, Nintendo has seen steadily increasing game sales, and the Hasbro boys’ toy line has been a top ten seller. More than 50 licensees have signed on for the North American market to date. Initial programs beyond toys and games will be available at multiple retailers for back-to-school programmes in 2016, with a much larger multi-category presence for autumn and holiday 2016.

MarVista secured its first LATAM deal for the show about a year ago, and this agreement expands on that.