Cookie Jar cashes out of KidsCo joint venture, Corus raises stake

Corus Entertainment has bumped up its stake in international children’s network KidsCo to 43.8%, as fellow minority shareholder Cookie Jar Entertainment moves off stage.

The move comes NBCUniversal International raises its controlling stake to 51 percent as Cookie Jar cashes out of the joint venture after five years.

At the same time, Cookie Jar has struck a multi-year content licensing agreement to provide kids programming to KidsCo’s channels internationally.

Terms of the stake acquisition deals were not disclosed.

“KidsCo has become synonymous with quality, family-friendly entertainment, and Corus is excited to deepen our partnership with NBCUniversal to help grow the KidsCo business and build on its already strong international reputation as a diverse and dependable entertainment destination,” Corus Television president Doug Murphy said Monday in a statement.