Rainbow S.p.A.
TypeProduction company
FoundedApril 1995; 27 years ago (April 1995)
FounderIginio Straffi
Headquarters
Loreto, Ancona, Italy
Key people
Iginio Straffi (Founder/CEO)
ProductsTelevision series, films
OwnerParamount Global (30%)[1]
ParentParamount Networks EMEAA (30%)
Iginio Straffi (70%)
SubsidiariesBardel Entertainment
Gruppo Iven S.p.A.
(Colorado Film)
Rainbow CGI
Moviement Talent Agency
Tridimensional
Witty Toys
Websiterbw.it

Rainbow S.p.A. is an Italian studio co-owned by Iginio Straffi and Paramount Global.[2] It has collaborated with Paramount Global's other company, Nickelodeon, on multiple shows, including Winx Club and Club 57.[3] The studio is based in Loreto, Marche and was founded by Straffi in 1995. Rainbow began as an animation studio, providing creative services for larger companies until it secured enough funds for original productions.

In February 2011, Viacom (now known as Paramount Global) purchased 30% of the company for 62 million euros (US$83 million),[4] leaving the remaining 70% to Iginio Straffi.[2][5] Viacom's Nickelodeon networks broadcast Rainbow's shows worldwide[6] and Rainbow acts as the licensing agent for Nickelodeon's shows in Italy.[7] Nickelodeon's American studios have also collaborated with Rainbow on several productions, including Winx Club from 2011 to 2015 and Club 57 in 2019.[3]

In 2015, Rainbow purchased fellow animation studio Bardel Entertainment.[8] In 2017, Rainbow acquired a majority stake in Gruppo Iven S.p.A., which owns the production company Colorado Film.[9]

In 2018, Straffi and Viacom listed the company on the Italian stock exchange.[10] The listing followed years of consideration regarding which country's stock market to enter (the United States or Italy).[11] According to Straffi, this presented "a real dilemma" as Viacom was already listed on an American stock exchange,[11] but Rainbow performed best in European countries.[11] Straffi and Viacom withdrew Rainbow from the stock market in May 2018, citing a lack of suitable market conditions.[12]

Filmography

Television series

Show Start date Co-production
Tommy and Oscar 2000–2002 Rai Fiction
Prezzemolo 2002–2003 Gardaland
Winx Club 2004–2019 Rai Fiction (seasons 1-7)
Nickelodeon[13] (seasons 5-7)
Rai Ragazzi (season 8)
Monster Allergy 2005–2009 Rai Fiction
Huntik: Secrets & Seekers 2009–2012
PopPixie 2010–2011
Mia and Me 2012–2015 M4E
Crazy Block (pilot)[14] 2014 Nickelodeon[14]
Regal Academy 2016–2018 Rai Fiction
Maggie & Bianca: Fashion Friends 2016–2017 Rai Fiction
Nickelodeon (pilot only)[15]
World of Winx 2016–2017 Rai Fiction
44 Cats 2018–present Rai Ragazzi
Institute of Antoniano
Club 57 2019–2021 Rai Ragazzi
Nickelodeon[16]
Fate: The Winx Saga 2021–2022 Archery Pictures
Young Blood Productions
Summer & Todd: Happy Farmers 2021–present RTVE
Motion Pictures
Pinocchio and Friends 2021–present Rai Ragazzi
Toonz Media Group
Mermaid Magic TBA Bardel

Films

Movie Released Distributor Co-production
Tommy and Oscar: The Movie 2007 Rai Fiction Miramax
Winx Club: The Secret of the Lost Kingdom 2007 01 Distribution
Paramount Pictures 		Rai Fiction
Winx Club 3D: Magical Adventure 2010 Medusa Film
Paramount Pictures 		Sky Cinema
Gladiators of Rome 2012 Medusa Film
Paramount Pictures 		Sky Cinema
Mediaset Premium
Winx Club: The Mystery of the Abyss 2014 01 Distribution
Paramount Pictures 		Rai Fiction
Classe Z 2017 Medusa Film Colorado Film
Tiro libero 2017
The Girl in the Fog 2017
My Big Gay Italian Wedding 2018
No Kids 2018
When Mom Is Away 2018
The Nest 2019
Into the Labyrinth 2019
Me contro Te - Il film: La vendetta del Signor S 2020 Warner Bros.
Cambio tutto! 2020 Medusa Film
Amazon Prime Video
10 giorni con Babbo Natale 2020 Medusa Film
Amazon Prime Video

Other divisions

Rainbow founded Tridimensional, a magazine publishing division, in 2004. A 3D animation division, Rainbow CGI, was formed in 2006. Rainbow also established Witty Toys, a toy division, in 2008.

References

  1. ^ Vivarelli, Nick (4 February 2011). "Viacom takes stake in Rainbow". Variety.
  2. ^ a b Vivarelli, Nick (February 26, 2011). "Winx creator in the pink: Viacom draws on Italian animation shop". Variety. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  3. ^ a b Ramos-Weiner, Maribel (20 November 2018). "Iginio Straffi de Rainbow: Tuvimos una influencia muy importante en la historia de Club 57 para garantizar su atractivo en Europa". Produ.com (in Spanish).
  4. ^ "Straffi's Rainbow: Europe's Largest Animation House Has Growing Pains" (PDF). VideoAge International. October 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 24, 2017. In 2011, 16 years after Straffi founded Rainbow, Viacom gained 30 percent ownership of the animation division... for 62 million euro ($83 million), thus valuing the company at $277 million.
  5. ^ Serafini, Domenico (November 5, 2014). "I dolori di Rainbow per arrivare prima in Europa". Millecanali. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  6. ^ Minardi, Sabina (24 February 2011). "Winx, le fatine fanno il botto". L'espresso (in Italian).
  7. ^ Rusak, Gary (April 2011). "Rainbow to rep Nick, lands new master toy deal" (PDF). Kidscreen. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 15, 2011.
  8. ^ "Rainbow buys Canadian animation studio Bardel". Kidscreen. 5 October 2015.
  9. ^ Andrea, Montanari (21 August 2017). "Rainbow-Viacom compra la Colorado" (PDF). MF Milano Finanza. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 August 2018.
  10. ^ "Winx take to the stock exchange". Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata. 12 April 2018. Rome: The shares will be put on sale by Straffi and Viacom Holdings Italia.
  11. ^ a b c "Rainbow ripensa alla Borsa". Bebeez.it (in Italian). 3 November 2015.
  12. ^ "The Winx Withdraw from the Stock Market". 22 May 2018. The Rainbow studio based in Loreto, Marche, 30% of which belongs to Viacom, decided to go public... However, investors have not responded with the awaited enthusiasm
  13. ^ "Nickelodeon Announces JAKKS Pacific as Master Toy Licensee for Innovative Girls Brand: Winx Club". Winx Club is a co-production with Rainbow S.p.A. and Nickelodeon.
  14. ^ a b "Crazy Block - Nick Animated Shorts". YouTube. December 8, 2018. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13.
  15. ^ Magliaro, Alessandra (19 July 2015). "Rainbow, oltre Winx, 1/a serie con attori". Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (in Italian). Archived from the original on 20 July 2015.
  16. ^ "Riprese della serie tv americana per ragazzi "Club 57" a Monopoli" (in Italian). 23 September 2018.
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