The shows will be a mix of animated and live-action and made for multi-platform distribution.

Mattel did not provide specific titles or brands that are being developed but did say the shows will encompass a broad range of genres, including action-adventure, humor, game shows, music and others. They will be designed for a range of audiences, from toddlers and preschoolers to boys and girls to tweens, teens and families.

The company counts Barbie, Hot Wheels, Monster High and Masters of the Universe among its top toy brands.

Said Mattel chairman and CEO Ynon Kreiz: "With the proliferation of broadcasting and streaming platforms, there is a growing demand for high-quality content driven by global brands. Mattel is the owner of one of the strongest portfolios of children’s and family entertainment franchises in the world. We have countless opportunities to bring these brands to their fans through episodic programming that will capture the imaginations of kids and families worldwide. This marks another important step to capture the full value of our assets as we drive our transformation to become an IP-driven, high-performing toy company.”

Mattel has been making a renewed push into screened entertainment and last September hired Robbie Brenner to run Mattel Films. The division reinvigorated the Masters of the Universe movie project set up at Sony and set up long-in-development projects Hot Wheels and Barbie at Warner Bros. It is also working on an American Doll movie just set up at MGM.