Hulu is now streaming a collection of warm fuzzies from The Dodo, the internet-first animal content powerhouse.
Hulu on Friday launched 40 20-minute episodes of fan-favorite series from Group Nine Media’s The Dodo. The selections include “Comeback Kids,” “Reunited,” “Best Animal Friends,” “Adoption Day,” “Rescued!” and “First Taste of Freedom.” Collectively, the six series have garnered more than 1.3 billion video views and 40 million hours of time spent viewing across social-media platforms through October 2020, according to Group Nine.
The Dodo has a nonexclusive two-year licensing deal with Hulu, which is controlled by Disney. The Dodo is part of Group Nine Media, the four-year-old Discovery-backed digital media company.
The pact with Hulu marks The Dodo’s continued expansion into longer-form TV programming to diversify its revenue base. To date, it has launched two seasons of “Dodo Heroes” on Discovery’s Animal Planet, and Netflix just ordered a second season of “Izzy’s Koala World,” a docuseries about young teen Australian koala caretaker Izzy Bee.
“The Dodo has transformed animal content from a niche vertical into a mainstream passion point with compelling storytelling that resonates with viewers of all demographics,” Dodo president YuJung Kim said in a statement. “We are excited to partner with Hulu to bring our family-friendly series into even more homes and continue to foster the next generation of animal lovers.”
The Dodo is dedicated to “fun, entertaining, emotional stories” about animals and their connections with humans. It’s particularly strong on Facebook, registering 1.7 billion video views overall on the platform in November 2020, according to Tubular Labs.
In July 2019, it launched Dodo Kids to reach families with young children. Dodo Kids has several numerous children’s series, including “Rescued!” and “Best Animal Friends,” in addition to a 30-minute live-action special, “Summer at Home with Toby the Toad.”
Group Nine’s other brands include Thrillist, NowThis, Seeker and PopSugar (acquired last year). The New York-based company was formed in December 2016.