From YouTube to Disney+: Preschool hit ‘Gracie’s Corner’ lands streaming and development deal

LOS ANGELES (AP) — When Javoris Hollingsworth looked over his children’s shoulders during the pandemic, he noticed something missing from the educational videos keeping them occupied: Black characters who reflected families like his own. “Did you realize that none of the characters look like our children?” he asked his wife, Arlene Gordon-Hollingsworth. Instead of simply pointing out the problem, the couple set out to change it. That observation eventually led to “Gracie’s Corner,” the educational music series inspired by their daughter Graceyn Hollingsworth that has attracted more than 6.3 million YouTube subscribers and nearly 10 billion views. Now, “Gracie’s Corner” is headed to Disney+. Disney announced Thursday that it has acquired the global streaming rights to the popular preschool series and will develop new original content with the Hollingsworth family. The deal includes global linear and streaming rights to more than 120 shorts and 18 themed compilations from the existing series. Graceyn, 13, said she was “really ecstatic” when she learned Disney would become part of the show’s next chapter. “Disney, Disney. The one that makes all the princess movies and everything,” she recalled thinking. “It was really surprising.” When will ‘Gracie’s Corner’ premiere on Disney+? “Gracie’s Corner” will debut
Read More