There was a time when Talking Tom was simply the cat on your phone who repeated what you said back to you.
A lot has changed since then.
Over the years, Talking Tom has grown far beyond its mobile app beginnings, expanding into games, animated series and a much larger entertainment franchise. Now that world is getting another major boost as “Talking Tom Heroes: Suddenly Super” makes its way to Amazon Kids+ across multiple territories.
The 52-episode animated series launches in the U.S. today, with Canada, the U.K., Italy, Mexico, France, Germany and Spain set to follow this fall. Amazon Kids+ will also hold first-window rights in France, Germany and Spain.
Produced by Outfit7, Epic Story Media and ReDefine Originals, “Talking Tom Heroes: Suddenly Super” follows Tom and his friends after they discover a mysterious device that unexpectedly gives them superpowers.
Naturally, things only get more complicated from there.
Yet the Amazon Kids+ deal is about considerably more than simply bringing another animated series to the platform. The U.S. launch is being paired with the debut of a “Talking Tom Heroes: Suddenly Super” toy line, while an exclusive companion game will also be available through Amazon Kids+ for Amazon Fire Tablets.
That combination makes the partnership especially interesting.
Kids can watch the characters on screen, continue the adventure through a game and then bring those same heroes into physical play through toys. It is the kind of connected entertainment ecosystem that has become increasingly valuable for children’s brands, especially as the lines between television, gaming and toys continue to blur.
For Talking Tom, it is also another reminder of just how far the brand has come.
The character first emerged from a Slovenian mobile game and app during the 2010s before growing into a multimedia franchise with several animated productions. “Talking Tom Heroes: Suddenly Super” has already found homes with broadcasters including ABC in Australia, CBeebies in the U.K. and Warner Bros. Discovery in Latin America.
Now Amazon Kids+ gives the series another major platform while helping connect all those different pieces of the franchise together.
There is something almost amusing about remembering where Talking Tom started. What began as a simple app built around a talking virtual cat has slowly grown into an entertainment world capable of supporting television, games, toys and international distribution.
Apparently repeating everything we said was only the beginning.