Toon2Tango Appoints Sonja Thernes to Lead New Consumer Products and Licensing Unit
Sonja Thernes, Head of Consumer Products & Licensing
Munich, November 9, 2026 – Toon2Tango, the German kids and family entertainment powerhouse, a label of Mediawan Kids & Family and a LEONINE Animation Studios company – part of the Mediawan Group, is expanding its international consumer products and licensing business: Sonja Thernes has assumed the position of Head of Consumer Products & Licensing, effective November 1, 2026. Based in Munich, she is responsible for the strategic and operational development and expansion of the company’s activities in Germany and internationally. Her focus will be on brands and franchises from Mediawan Kids & Family, Toon2Tango’s own productions and selected IP from the LEONINE Studios portfolio. Thernes reports directly to Toon2Tango CEO Hans Ulrich Stoef.
Sonja Thernes brings more than 20 years of experience in international consumer products, licensing and retail. Most recently, as Director Consumer Products Europe at Sesame Workshop Europe, she was responsible for the strategic and operational expansion of its European consumer products business. Prior to that, she led the establishment of Netflix’s consumer products organization in the DACH region. She has also held leadership positions at Lidl International, Bavaria Media, Warner Bros. Entertainment and Studio 100 Media.
“With Sonja, we are gaining a proven international expert in the strategic development of consumer products businesses who understands brand development, licensing partnerships and retail in equal measure,” says Hans Ulrich Stoef, CEO of Toon2Tango. “We are expanding this business segment in line with our growth ambitions. In addition to traditional licensing partnerships, we want to create new direct-to-fan channels and, with a clear B2C focus, build our own consumer platforms. Sonja will play a crucial role in unlocking this potential internationally together with our partners.”
“As part of LEONINE Studios and the Mediawan Group, Toon2Tango offers an exceptionally strong foundation for developing brands internationally and over the long term,” says Sonja Thernes, Head of Consumer Products & Licensing at Toon2Tango. “Our combined portfolio brings together established, successful brands and compelling new IPs. Their stories, characters and fan communities provide outstanding potential for relevant consumer products programs. I look forward to translating this potential into attractive products, partnerships and direct fan experiences, together with our licensees, retail and brand partners.”
The combined licensing and merchandising portfolio includes upcoming projects and established IP from across the Group’s slate, such as Method Animation’s ASTRO BOY reboot, the digital-first series WADOO and Mediawan Kids & Family Distribution’s hit preschool series MADDIE + TRIGGS. These are complemented by Toon2Tango’s own productions, including the highly anticipated animated feature PALUTEN FREEDOM, based on the popular Paluten YouTube universe; NIKO, the series based on the international family film franchise; AGENT 203, comprising the animated hit series and a feature film; and SHOWTIME, Toon2Tango’s most recent production, commissioned by KiKA. The portfolio also includes projects in development, such as action-adventure series ELDRADOR, based on the successful play world from German toy company Schleich.
ABOUT TOON2TANGO
Toon2Tango is a kids and family entertainment powerhouse specializing in IP creation, development, financing, production, distribution and brand building. The company is positioned as a worldwide operation working across all types of children’s and family entertainment IPs with a strong focus on animated content. Toon2Tango also actively engages in co-financing and acquisition of quality programming with a strong international appeal.
Since its foundation in September 2019, Toon2Tango has been involved in the production of a total of six TV series – AGENT 203, MONSTER LOVING MANIACS, GRISU, HEY FUZZY YELLOW, SHOWTIME and NIKO – as well as the feature films MISSION SANTA: YOYO TO THE RESCUE, PALUTEN and AGENT 203: THE MOVIE. Toon2Tango is a LEONINE Animation Studios company and part of the Mediawan Group.
ABOUT MEDIAWAN KIDS & FAMILY
Mediawan Kids & Family is the division of Mediawan, one of the world’s leading independent production companies, dedicated to the production and distribution of children and family content for audiences worldwide. The company is the European leader in animation and produces premium TV shows, high-end feature films and digital content for kids, teens, young adults and families.
Mediawan Kids & Family houses four production labels headquartered in France: the well-established animation label Method Animation (THE THREE MUSKETEERS, PIRATE ACADEMY, ROBIN HOOD – MISCHIEF IN SHERWOOD, THE LITTLE PRINCE AND FRIENDS), brand-new 2D animation TV label for kids Somewhere Animation (ARTEFACTS – THIEVES OF THIEVES, LEAVES AND ROOTS), live-action shows for youth and family studio Elliott Studio (BOULE & BILL) and Mediawan Kids & Family Cinema (A MAGNIFICENT LIFE, MIRACULOUS – THE MOVIE, LITTLE NICHOLAS: HAPPY AS CAN BE, THE LITTLE PRINCE). Mediawan Kids & Family is also present internationally through four labels: Palomar Animation in Italy (THE ENCHANTED VILLAGE OF PINOCCHIO, THE THREE MUSKETEERS), Wildseed Studios in the UK (TUFF POM, DODO), Submarine Animation in the Netherlands (APOLLO 10½: A SPACE AGE CHILDHOOD, THEY SHOT THE PIANO PLAYER, FOX AND HARE SAVE THE FOREST), and Toon2Tango (LEONINE Animation Studios) in Germany (AGENT 203, LITTLEST ROBOT).
Mediawan Kids & Family handles the distribution of all children's and family content within the Mediawan group, including MIRACULOUS – TALES OF LADYBUG AND CAT NOIR now produced by Miraculous Corp, the new company created by Mediawan and Zag and sold in over 150 countries. But also a significant catalog of 2,500 half-hours of programs such as ROBIN HOOD – MISCHIEF IN SHERWOOD or THE ENCHANTED VILLAGE OF PINOCCHIO broadcasted in over 150 countries, and third-party acquisitions such as MADDIE+ TRIGGS, DUCK AND FROG (co-produced with BBC) and DOGMATIX AND THE INDOMITABLES sold in over 45 countries, and BARNKIDZ, a real international success.
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