Sky Kids has announced it will no longer commission original content as it shifts to a slate of all licensed programming.
The network says it will continue production on the shows currently in the pipeline for the next two years, which includes a total of 13 announced and unannounced titles. After that period, the channel will rely on outside productions to fill its programming day. One indication of that third-party approach was Sky's recent acquisition of the French pre-school animation series Miffy.
“Sky Kids has built an extensive library of high-quality and award-winning original programming and third-party content that continues to engage and delight young audiences," said Sky’s executive director of content strategy and performance Jamie Morris in a statement. "With a strong pipeline of new original shows still to come, we now have a rich slate of content that allows us to evolve our strategy."
“In the future Sky Kids will focus on acquiring third party content. While this means reviewing the number of roles required to deliver the next phase of our offer, we remain committed to bringing the very best in children’s entertainment to families across the UK.”
Sky Kids currently has approximately 150 original programs, including The Very Small Creatures, Pip & Posy, 123 Number Squad!, and children’s news program FYI: For Your Info.