Genius Brands Set to Join Russell 3000 Index

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Genius Brands International, Inc. (“Genius Brands” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: GNUS), a global brand management company that creates and licenses multimedia entertainment content for children, announces it is set to join the broad-market Russell 3000 Index at the conclusion of the 2021 Russell indexes annual reconstitution, effective when the US market opens on June 28, 2021, according to a preliminary list of additions posted on June 4, 2021.

The annual Russell indexes reconstitution captures the 4,000 largest US stocks as of May 7, ranking them by total market capitalization. Membership in the US all-cap Russell 3000 Index, which remains in place for one year, means Genius Brands will also be included in the Russell 2000 Index as well as the appropriate growth and value style indexes. FTSE Russell determines membership for its Russell indexes primarily by objective, market-capitalization rankings and style attributes.

Andy Heyward, CEO of Genius Brands, commented, “We’re pleased to be included in the Russell 3000 and Russell 2000 Indexes, as we believe this reflects the dramatic growth we have experienced over the past year. In particular, our recently launched tentpole brand, Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, has now surpassed 28 million views, averaging now over 4 million views per episode, making this one of the most highly viewed new cartoon launches in history. We are particularly excited about the launch of Superhero Kindergarten on Alibaba's Youku Kids platform in China, with over 140 million subscribers, at the end of the year. Additionally, our new kids streaming platform, Kartoon Channel!, is experiencing rapid growth, with viewer satisfaction rankings exceeding those of Netflix, Disney+, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and YouTube Kids, in both the Apple and the Google app stores. This free, streaming AVOD platform for kids now has reach to all US TV households and over 300 million devices. We look forward to building on our growth with the launch of exciting upcoming productions, such as Shaq’s Garage, starring Shaquille O’Neal, and KC Pop Quiz, as well as Season 3 and a new toy launch around the hit series Rainbow Rangers on Kartoon Channel!, with episodes available on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video Direct, as well as HBO MAX and Nick Lat Am in Latin America. We believe inclusion in the Russell 3000 index will provide broader visibility with the global investment community, as we remain laser focused on growing and driving value for shareholders.”