Air Buddies franchise claws into MCN biz

The company behind the Air Buddies direct-to-video family movies franchise is launching a channel on YouTube.

Air Bud Entertainment’s network, Air Bud TV, will feature original short form content and TV series, and teasers for its movies, which include the upcoming Russell Madness.

Series include Animal Sing-Alongs, Puppy Preschool and The Bubble Bath Boys.

All ABE’s content features talking animals. The franchise was born out of the 1997 movie Air Bud, which, unusually was distributed by both The Walt Disney Company and rival studio Warner Bros.

“This is an exciting time for our brand,” said Robert Vince, CEO of ABE and creator of the Air Bud brand. “Our strength is our content and building franchises, with fun characters and stories with great messages that families love.”