Flowgo Corporation

Flowgo Corporation's final logo used from 2017 to 2018

### Fate

Folded into DreamWorks Animation; Assets dispersed into other NBCUniversal units

### Founded

February 14, 1986 (as The Pout Company)
December 10, 1989 (as Baby Idol Enterprises)
December 1, 1991 (as Flowgo Enterprises)
April 29, 2013 (as Flowgo Corporation)

### Defunct

December 10, 1989 (as The Pout Company)
December 1, 1991 (as Baby Idol Enterprises)
April 29, 2013 (as Flowgo Enterprises)
January 15, 2017 (as Flowgo Corporation)

### Location

London, England (1986-1991)
Mandaluyong City, Philippines (1991-2017)

### Key people

Jeff Marinos
Margie Cohn (Head of Animation)
Ann Daly (CEO)
Thomas Cannerson (President)

### Parent

Quest Broadcasting (1991-2013)
DreamWorks Animation (2005-2017)
NBCUniversal (2013-17)

### Divisions

Flowgo Entertainment
Flowgo Television
Flowgo Animation
Flowgo Interactive
Flowgo Networks

***Flowgo Corporation Inc.*** (formerly known as ***The Pout Company*** from 1986 until 1989, ***Baby Idol Enterprises*** from 1989 until 1991, and ***Flowgo Enterprises*** from 1991 until 2013) is the Philippine 31-year public entertainment company based in the city of Mandaluyong.

Flowgo Corporation specializes in cable television, consumer products, movies and children's entertainment programs that were mostly are based on the long-running *Flowgo Babies* franchise, as well as Flowgo's film franchises such as *Baby Potter*, *Bat Baby*, *Baby Kong*, *Diaper Wars*, *Babies of the Caribbean*, *Tot Trek*, *Babies of Oz* and *Greaser Babies*, and the relative of Flowgo parallel and modern franchises such as *Fanta Babies*, *Choir Babies*, *The Three Tenor Tots*, *Little Baby Pout*, *Baby Christina*, *Baby Idol*, *The Patty's Pinch*, *Baby Aerosmith*, *Redneck Baby*, and *Baby Queen*.

The company also operates the parallel successor of the original Flowgo Universe, which is intended to be based on Flowgo, as well as the additional Nicktoons and Turner EMEA exchange content, and previously released content, called Flowgoverse.

On January 15, 2017, Flowgo Corporation was officially absorded into DreamWorks Animation, with these assets being dispersed into other NBCUniversal units.

## History

### Beginnings (1986-91)

Flowgo Corporation was founded as The Pout Company by Jess Decolongan, Don Lee and Bong Lapira on February 14, 1986 in London, England. The first five babies were manufactured by The Pout Company. Later, five books starring five babies were released during 1987 until January 1989, when it was renovated to focus on the baby-themed book industry.

Later, in mid-1989, The Pout Company was renamed Baby Idol Enterprises, and the first six characters of Baby Idol (three major and three recurring) were manufactured in 1990. Baby Idol Enterprises was renewed to the music industry pop for best known for releasing albums such as *The Baby Idol Soundtrack*, released in January 1991.

### Introduction of Flowgo alliance (1991-94)

On February 13, 1991, Leonardo S. Sarao reached an agreement to increase ownership of Baby Idol Enterprises to 96% through the Philippine radio transmission company based in Mandaluyong City, Philippines SBS Radio Network Inc., with intentions to buy albums based on Baby Idol. Later, on February 18, 1991, the comic rapper baby was introduced as the company's new character, followed by the creation of Choir Babies on February 20, Redneck Baby on February 21, Karaoke Baby on February 25, Fanta Babies on February 29, Little Baby Pout on March 5, Baby Christina on March 10, Biker Baby on March 15, Baby Jesus on March 19 and Valentines Baby on March 21, as well as Fat Pooping Baby on 23 of March.

Later, on March 24, 1991, after the presentation of the characters from February 20 to March 23, SBS Radio Network Inc. and Baby Idol Enterprises agreed to form their own joint umbrella brand for children's entertainment and families, Flowgo, which was applied to upcoming license products produced in the Philippines based on Redneck Baby, Little Baby Pout, Baby Christina, Biker Baby and Choir Babies that will be launched for the first time in the Philippines during 1992 until 1994. 13 June 1991, SBS Radio Network Inc. investing to increase the ownership of the rights of Biker Baby and Choir Babies, preparing the creation of the next markets for child-oriented licensing products. SBS Radio Network has never forgotten what it can handle, with the increase in taking control of the next Flowgo brand products, while marketing management began in early 1993.

During June-November 1991, Nursing Baby appeared at the end of June together with Pooie Looie and Pee Pee Baby in mid-July, Fastcar Baby, The Bladder Ballad, The Patty's Pinch and Father's Day Trio in August and Usher Babies in September (blue) and Oct (red). Feeding Baby was introduced in November. On December 1, 1991, SBS Radio Network Inc. officially renamed Baby Idol Enterprises as Flowgo Enterprises and moved it to Mandaluyong City, Philippines. With SBS Radio Network completely controlling Flowgo Enterprises, Flowgo Enterprises is slated to provide children's entertainment content utilizing cable television, film, TV, video game and consumer products markets for the *Flowgo Babies* franchise. Flowgo Entertainment, its licensing and merchandising product division, was also founded in Metro Malina as well.

Its animation division, Flowgo Animation, was incorporated in Cebu, Philippines in 1992, while its theatrical film animation division, Flowgo Feature Animation, was founded by Dick Zondag, Ralph Zondag, Phil Nibbelink and Simon Wells in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines in 1993, with Flowgo Networks being launched in Zamboanga, Philippines on April 3, 1994. On January 8, 1994, Flowgo Entertainment announced a 21-year long-term television contract with the Philippine animation studio founded by Colin Baker, based in Manila, Philippines, Toon City Animation, to develop the television exploration of children's entertainment for many of the major publishing licenses that can be invested, by co-forming their own joint children's television production division, Flowgo Television, in Davao, Philippines. This division is headed by several directors, animators, art directors, lead character designers and writers of Disney Channel's original animated series, *Brandy & Mr. Whiskers*, created by comedy writer Russell Marcus.

### The first years under the Flowgo brand (1994-2007)

On March 15, 1994, Flowgo Entertainment announced the beginning of the video game industry by partnering with Sony Computer Entertainment of America, Atari Corporation, Nintendo of America and Sega of America to co-form its own video game development and publishing company called Flowgo Interactive which was incorporated on September 1, 1995 in General Santos, Philippines. Later, on June 18, 1994, Flowgo Enterprises earned and received $ 160 million for 150 million units worldwide by preceding the children's licensing products created by the Philippines. On September 13, 1994, Flowgo Enterprises announced that they were preceded to jointly create and develop "a unique children's entertainment property of many themed formations for babies." On February 14, 1995, Flowgo Interactive signed a twenty-game, long-term, 20-year development agreement with Microsoft and Apple Inc. for both the Windows and Mac OS platforms.

In July 1996, Atari merged with JTS Inc., a manufacturer of short-lived hard drives, to form JTS Corporation, thus terminating the Flowgo Enterprises video game development agreement with Atari Corporation. On October 11, 1995, Flowgo Animation signed a 13-year animated feature film contract with DreamWorks Pictures to co-finance, co-produce and distribute films through its Flowgo Feature Animation division, which is scheduled to produce projects based in the properties of the Flowgo brand by covering its own joint feature film project with the Flowgo brand, Pacific Playhouse, which becomes the banner of Flowgo's films.

Later, on September 13, 1997, after the presentation of 10 new characters, including Village Toddlers, Flowgo Enterprises received a 10-year contract with Pacific Data Images to co-produce, co-finance and distribute animated films by computer. During the summer of 1998, DreamWorks Animation and Flowgo Feature Animation jointly released their first associated computer animation feature *Baby Potter*, released on September 4, 1998. In 2000, Flowgo Enterprises renewed an agreement on expansion with its parent company Quest Broadcasting Inc. for promotions carried out by Killerbee stations, which are scheduled to market interactive line-ups purchased on the web with the Flowgo Music license of the Flowgo brand for a $ 150 million relationship based in Metro Malina related license products. Licensing promotion for Flowgo Enterprises was made available during 2001 until 2010 for the Killerbee 95.1, Killerbee 89.1, Killerbee 92.3, Killerbee General Santos and Killerbee 89.3.

On January 31, 2001, Sega announced the interruption of Dreamcast after March 31 and the restructuring of the company as an external developer "platform independent", thus sadly ending the video game development agreement of Flowgo Enterprises with Sega after 7 years, thus beginning its own 16-year video game development agreement with Microsoft for several Xbox-branded platforms, as well as continuing deals with both Sony Computer Entertainment of America and Nintendo of America for both the Sony and Nintendo platforms. Later, in June 2001, Flowgo Enterprises received a $ 305 million deal to expand its operations to 105 billion units worldwide by authorizing the identification of the children's entertainment industry.

On March 9, 2002, *Baby Potter: The Series*, a new American-Canadian animated action-adventure comedy series co-produced by Flowgo Television, Portfolio Entertainment, Adelaide Productions and DreamWorks Animation, debuted on Fox Kids (marking Fox Kids' and Teletoon's second and final TV series with the Flowgo brand after Fanta Babies: The Series which premieres on March 27, 1999 in both the Fox Kids block of FOX and the Canadian children's television network of Corus Entertainment Teletoon), and received 150% of the readers of the program through 13 episodes of the first season. On May 16, 2003, DreamWorks Animation and Flowgo Feature Animation co-launched Baby Kong, while DreamWorks Animation and Flowgo Feature Animation license an agreement with Aardman in production for Bat Baby, released in theaters on July 16, 2004. On May 11, 2005, Flowgo Interactive announced plans to stop developing and publishing sixth-generation console titles from summer 2007 to focus on console titles of the seventh generation as of November 11, 2005, as a Flowgo Interactive agreement for the launch of PlayStation 2 titles continues until October 5, 2011. Distribution of *Baby Potter: The Series* was originally handled by Adelaide Productions' parent company Sony Pictures Television, but now being held over by NBCUniversal Television Distribution.

On February 1, 2005, DreamWorks Animation announced that it decided to increase the participation of the 50% of acquiring and then full controlling Flowgo Enterprises, intending to become a parent company of many of the Flowgo-branded licensing product to pair over the rights to many of the Flowgo-branded characters across the franchises. The acquistion was completed on June 6, 2005.

On February 13, 2006, Flowgo Television joined Zinkia Entertainment to create and jointly develop *Kirk*, a new children's preschool television series produced in Spain, whose rights are intended to be acquired by Televisión Española for the Spanish Clan TVE channel, Chellomedia for Central European Minimax television channel, Turner Broadcasting System Europe for the Italian, French, Spanish and African Boing channels, the Norwegian NRK and NRK Super channels, Israel-based Hop! Channel, and Turner Broadcasting System Latin America for the Latin American Boomerang channel.

After October 5, 2011, Flowgo Enterprises commented on its 25th anniversary with the launch of Greaser Babies on October 7, before Flowgo Interactive acquired the Splashinis / Cartoonverse brand video games on October 6, 2011 and became part from Flowgo Video Games series that begins on October 8, 2011. Finally, shortly after the launch of Greaser Babies, Flowgo Enterprises has lost $ 160 million to renew the subscription to provide computer animated children's movies due to the license of the Flowgo brand and non-acquired infractions, resulting in poor failures of the Flowgo brand films of the 2000s Over time, Flowgo Enterprises eventually resolved itself with flawed failures and recent Flowgo Feature Animation operation problems with the result of providing the entertainment film industry for children as of 2012.

After box office failure of *Bat Baby*, Flowgo Feature Animation entered into administration after February 13, 2012. Later, DreamWorks Animation has entered into negotiations not to increase or eliminate ownership of Flowgo Feature Animation from April-May 2012. The May 18, 2012, Flowgo Feature Animation entered into liquidation. By manufacturing the post-Flowgo Feature Animation library, Flowgo Animation releases films based on *Fanta Babies* with DreamWorks Animation from 2012 to 2017, as well as sequels to *Diaper Wars* and *Baby Kong*, more *Baby Queen* for live video. Later, in November 2012, Flowgo Enterprises partnered with "Toy Box," a cross-platform gaming initiative announced by Disney Interactive Studios where Pixar and Disney characters will interact from a console game to multiple mobile applications and online, to create a licensing promotion for several Flowgo-branded locations across the Flowgo Universe and FlowgoVerse. Later, on December 21, 2012, the Flowgo Babies franchise became the most popular and invincible children's entertainment franchise in the multiverse that has been launched.

### Rebranding as Flowgo Corporation (2012-13)

On December 23, 2012, 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks Animation and Flowgo Feature Animation announced that they started developing and producing the sequels of both *Baby Potter*, *Tot Trek*, *Babies of the Caribbean* and *Bat Baby*, originally scheduled for releases on January 16, May 15 and August 14 in 2015. Later on December 25, 2012, Flowgo Enterprises sets out to handling over the licensing, merchandising, promotional, film, television, video game and consumer products rights to the Splashinis Worldwide Studios catalog, including *The Backyardigans*, newly is owned and operated by Rockville Worldwide Studios which hires Flowgo Enterprises to hand over the rights to the Splashinis Worldwide Studios catalog.

Later, on February 13, 2013, sales were downgraded, as Flowgo Enterprises set out to manufacture its Corporation name, which is expected to be introduced as of April 2013. As of March 11, 2013, Flowgo Enterprises partnered with Bandai Namco Entertainment, Rockville Worldwide Studios, Viacom International Media Networks, Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, Warner Bros. Animation and The Micronesian Network Group to co-produce and develop the new successor of Flowgo Universe inspired by *Disney Infinity*, through the name FlowgoVerse, which is established as the new home of the characters with the brand Splashinis. Flowgo Universe disappeared on April 25, 2013.

Flowgo Enterprises began major restructuring efforts, especially for the Flowgo Babies franchise, as Killerbee stations were reformatted across the country, as they were relaunched under the Magic nickname (adopted from its parent station) on April 29, 2013 (where Flowgo Enterprises was reformed as Flowgo Corporation). Also on April 29, 2013, Flowgo Entertainment ceased operations, while Quest Broadcasting sold Flowgo Corporation to NBCUniversal, which became its parent company, with DreamWorks Animation controlling it.

### Final years, final acquistion by NBCUniversal, and folded into DreamWorks Animation (2013-17)

On August 1, 2014, to coincide with the launch of *Guardians of the Galaxy*, advances were made to the sequels of *Baby Potter* and *Bat Baby* (titled *Baby Potter 2* and *Bat Baby 2*) on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Dailymotion and other online gaming websites. Following poor sales of not releasing trailer, *Baby Potter 2* and *Bat Baby 2*, alongside the rest of the sequels of *Babies of the Caribbean* and *Tot Trek*, were eventually cancelled. On April 28, 2016, Comcast officially announced that its division NBCUniversal intended to acquire DreamWorks Animation and Flowgo Corporation for $ 3.8 billion, valuing the company at $ 41 per share. Jeffrey Katzenberg would remain involved in the company as head of DreamWorks New Media, but he would give up control of the study to Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri, who would oversee both. The sale was approved by board members, but subject to regulatory approval, before closing on August 22, 2016. On December 25, 2016, the FlowgoVerse was retired, with Rockville Worldwide Studios officially being shut down.

Finally, on January 15, 2017, Flowgo Corporation was officially integrated into DreamWorks Animation, while the Flowgo Babies franchise was officially suspended after 31 years, and its assets were dispersed in other units NBCUniversal.

## Franchises

* *Flowgo Babies* (1986-2017)
* *The Puyo Puyo!! Quest Music Community* (1998-2012) (*collaborations only*)
* Splashinis Worldwide Studios catalog
	+ *The Backyardigans* (1940-2009)
	+ *Yu & Rei* (2001-2006)
	+ *Ryan & Isabella* (1995-2007)
	+ *Time Warp Trio* (2006-2009)
	+ *Power Rangers* (1997-2006)
	+ *DC Multiverse* (1987-2001)
* *The Universe of Toy Box* (1992-2013) (before the *Disney Infinity* series)
* *Tom and Jerry* (2001-2007) (now owned by Warner Bros. Animation)

## Assets

* Flowgo Entertainment; Public licensing entertainment company, founded in 1991, and closed in 2013.
* Flowgo Television; Children's entertainment television company founded as a joint venture between Flowgo Entertainment and Toon City.
* Flowgo Animation; Animation studio founded in 1992 and closed in 2017. Flowgo Animation was located in Cebu, Philippines.
* Flowgo Feature Animation; Flowgo Animation's division, liquidated in 2012.
* Flowgo Interactive; A video game developer/publisher created as a joint venture between Flowgo Entertainment, Atari Corporation, Sony Computer Entertainment, Nintendo of America and Sega of America.
* Flowgo Networks; Owner of both Flowgo Broadcasting Corporation.