Baby Shark company to grow jingles

Baby Shark (Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo) is the YouTube sensation that’s been viewed more than 2 billion times.

The jingle has become such an earworm that US talkshow host Jimmy Kimmel proposed throwing those responsible in jail for life.

Love or hate it, the South Korean company behind the 90-second song about a family of sharks is seeking to capitalise on the success by expanding its kid-orientated entertainment business.

Seoul-based SmartStudy Company’s Pinkfong is planning to release short videos via Netflix, a cartoon series and a musical in North America this year, one of the founders said in an interview this week.

The start-up, which has recently signed various merchandising deals, may also develop games that work with Amazon.com’s Alexa and Alphabet’s Google Home voice assistants, he said.

The popularity of the singalong builds on Korea’s emergence as an entertainment powerhouse. Korean pop, or K-pop, has grown into a US$5 billion ($7.3b) industry thanks to the success of the likes of boy-band BTS, which has signed commercial deals with big companies from Hyundai Motor to Barbie-maker Mattel, and Psy, whose Gangnam Style is at more than 3 billion views and counting.

Unlike BTS, SmartStudy has found its niche with kiddie pop, targeting children aged 1-4 with addictive, dance-along videos.

It was established in 2010 by three former online gaming employees and will next develop content for children aged 5-8. It will also look beyond sharks — to penguins.