Blue Ant Media, an international streaming, production, and rights-management company, has announced plans to acquire Thunderbird Entertainment, the parent company of Atomic Cartoons. This move marks a significant expansion for Blue Ant in the kids’, family, and animation sectors.

The agreement, which includes both cash and stock, values Thunderbird at approximately $89 million. The deal is expected to close in early 2026, pending shareholder approval and regulatory review.

Thunderbird Entertainment, based in Vancouver with additional teams in Los Angeles, is recognized for its Atomic Cartoons division. Atomic Cartoons has produced popular series such as Molly of Denali, Mermicorno: Starfall, and Super Team Canada, and has provided animation services for major brands including Spider-Man, My Little Pony, and Cocomelon.

Blue Ant Media stated that acquiring Thunderbird will:

• Expand its animation production capacity
• Strengthen its children’s and young adult content pipelines
• Enhance distribution and consumer products infrastructure

The company also highlighted Thunderbird’s established partnerships with Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros., Marvel, and LEGO as valuable assets.

Michael MacMillan, CEO of Blue Ant Media, said the acquisition will add scale and complementary capabilities, improving the company’s studio operations, earnings, and cash flow. He emphasized that Thunderbird’s expertise in both service work and original content will strengthen Blue Ant’s ability to develop and monetize content across multiple platforms.

After the deal closes, Jennifer Twiner McCarron, CEO and Chair of Thunderbird, will join Blue Ant to lead a combined kids, young adult, and animation division under Blue Ant Studios. She noted that the transaction will give Thunderbird’s teams greater creative and commercial opportunities, stronger global distribution, and a larger focus on intellectual property ownership and monetization.

Blue Ant also pointed to Thunderbird’s investment in non-generative AI production tools as a strategic advantage, stating that the combined company will be better equipped to adapt to new media trends and engage audiences across digital platforms.

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