Razor & Tie’s huge Kidz Bop brand will launch in the UK this spring, in tandem with partners such as Universal Music On Demand.
Other UK partners of the brand, which has sold 17m albums to date and generated over a billion streams, will include ITV, Crown Talent & Media Group, and Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
The first UK Kidz Bop album will debut on 31 March 2017, followed by a second release in Q4.
It will feature British children covering today’s biggest hits – “sung by kids for kids”.
Crown Talent & Media Group was brought on board to spearhead a nine-month UK-wide talent search and audition process to find the British Kidz Bop performers.
The group has been recently cast and is made up of four young singers aged 11-12 years old.
Victor Zaraya, Kidz Bop President, commented, “We’re excited to bring Kidz Bop to kids and families around the world, and Britain’s preeminent place in pop music makes the UK the obvious first territory for international expansion. Our strategic partners have been instrumental in helping us navigate the UK market and develop a distinct voice for the brand that will appeal to young British fans.”
“We’re certain British kids and parents will enjoy Kidz Bop as much as they do in the US.”
Simon Barnabas, Managing Director Universal Music On Demand, says, “We are thrilled to be on-board as distribution partners for Kidz Bop in the UK, and delighted to be part of this exciting phase of the brand’s expansion internationally.
“We’re certain British kids and parents will enjoy Kidz Bop as much as they do in the US, where the brand has become such a huge phenomenon. The addition of the super-talented UK Kidz Bop kids singing on this album is the icing on the cake.”
ITV will be the media partner for the launch of Kidz Bop in the UK. The deal will include an extensive multi-platform advertising campaign including ITV main channel.
Creative Artists Agency (CAA) will act as a key partner for the UK launch, serving as strategic advisors as well as tour and live-booking agents.
The album releases will be supported with a digital strategy including the launch of a UK Kidz Bop YouTube channel which will feature music videos starring the British Kidz Bop Kids.
William van Rest, Director of Commerce & Ventures at ITV, added, “We’re delighted to be partnering with Kidz Bop to launch the brand in the UK on ITV. We look forward to introducing the Kidz Bop to our audiences.”
In 2015, Kidz Bop accounted for 23% of all children’s music sale in the US.
The best-selling series has had 24 Top 10 debuts on the Billboard 200 Chart. Only three artists in history—The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Barbra Streisand—have had more Top 10 albums.
