8 Lions Entertainment partners with Lupus Films on global YouTube distribution strategy
Skwigly
The Hive (8 Lions/Lupus Films)
8 Lions Entertainment, the specialist digital studio focused on scaling premium IP on YouTube, and beyond, has partnered with award winning Lupus Films, one of the UK’s most respected independent animation studios, to launch, manage and grow the global YouTube presence of preschool animated series The Hive.
8 Lions will oversee YouTube distribution strategy, channel launch and management, audience development, localisation, and long-term optimisation for The Hive, supporting Lupus Films’ approach to extending the life and reach of its animation. As part of the rollout, 8 Lions will launch and manage English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, and German channels in addition to rolling out multi-language audio tracks in Arabic, Turkish, Polish, and Italian to scale fast reaching new audiences across multiple regions.
The partnership reflects the evolving role of YouTube as a core platform for premium animation, audience engagement, and franchise longevity. As more traditional studios look to build meaningful, long-term relationships with global audiences on digital platforms, the collaboration highlights a growing trend of established IP owners partnering with specialist YouTube operators to navigate scale, localisation, and monetisation at pace.
The Hive (8 Lions/Lupus Films)
Lupus Films is one of the UK’s most respected independent animation studios, with a reputation for beautifully crafted and emotionally resonant storytelling. We couldn’t be more excited to collaborate with such an inspiring and talented team, bringing their beloved property to global audiences on YouTube, and contributing to the longevity of The Hive.
-Jiella Esmat (Founder, 8 Lions Entertainment)
Camila Deakin, Co-Founder of Lupus Films and one of the Producers of The Hive, added:
We are really excited to be working with Jiella and her team at 8 Lions. Their knowledge and experience in the field of building brands on digital platforms is exceptional and will really allow us to take our beloved IP to new audiences and build valuable commercial opportunities, which is vital in today’s competitive market.
The partnership builds on 8 Lions’ growing track record of working with premium animation studios and rights holders to unlock new digital audiences and revenue streams through YouTube, while supporting broader franchise and brand strategies.