ESS expands into animation

• ESS moves into animation
• First animated show launches 2 Feb
• Sponsored by Caltex

Asia - ESPN Star Sports (ESS) will broadcast its first sports animation series with the debut of Supa Strikas on 2 February.

The show, sponsored by Caltex, will air every Monday at 7.00pm on its Star Sports networks across Asia, with a replay on Saturdays at 11:30am. ESS will air 13 half-hour episodes of the animated football series.

The show is primarily targeted at youths and according to ESS centres around "a feel-good story of a young boy, Shakes, who realises and lives his dream against all odds, bringing a message of hope and inspiration to young kids and adults alike across the globe". The animated series follows the fortunes of the Supa Strikas F.C. as Shakes and his teammates take on the world's best teams in the Super League.

Supa Strikas started off as one-minute animated shorts that were first aired in South Africa in late 2006 which quickly became a huge success across various regions. This led to the development of the full animation series which has been watched by more than 10 million people around the globe.