[Courtesy of Pinkfong]
Baby Shark, which depicts the story of a great white shark family with colorful visuals and a catchy melody, has gained global popularity since the "Baby Shark Dance" video was uploaded in 2016. The video currently has more than 12 billion views on YouTube. As of November 2022, the Baby Shark song was played more than 200 million times on the UK Singles Chart, beating Despacito, a song by Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi.
Pinkfong has partnered with American tech company Apple to expand its audio content business in South Korea and abroad. Audio content consisting of various programs including children’s songs and fairy tales is released once a week on its English-language channel and twice a week on the Korean channel.
"Through the partnership with global IT firm Apple, we can expand channels for audio content platforms where we can meet global fans," Pinkfong's chief business officer Joo Hye-min said in a statement on April 11. Earlier this month, the company released more than 30 Baby Shark-related digital book series through South Korea's top bookstore franchise Kyobo Book Centre and Millie's Library, an online e-book subscription platform.
Baby Shark’s creator is also gaining explosive popularity through "Bebefinn," a three-dimensional animated series featuring the five-member family of a 20-month-old baby. As of April 3, 2023, the animation show has recorded 250 million views in the U.S. with 20 million hours of accumulated viewing time. The 20-month-old baby who loves to play with Baby Shark showcases dance movements with catchy songs that are easy to sing along to.
reporter
Kim Joo-heon
jhkim123@ajunews.com
