Milo Productions: tapping bigger markets to bring diverse children’s stories to the world
Transcript — Milo Productions: tapping bigger markets to bring diverse children’s stories to the world
Video length: 00:03:29
[Pensive marimba music. Edmonton’s vibrant downtown arts district in winter, a runner near a cluster of office buildings, close-ups of restaurant signs and historic brick buildings.]
[A man, then a man and a woman seated in a colourful production studio projected against a moving backdrop of the city.]
Man offscreen: The world is there, but as a startup with, you know, very limited resources, the challenge for us then was, well, which markets do we focus on?
[On-screen text: “Creative Export Strategy” then “Milo Productions Inc.”.]
[On-screen text: Michael Milo, CEO]
Man offscreen: My name is Michael Milo and I'm the co-founder and CEO of Milo Productions Inc.
[A slideshow of photos of Michael at a movie screening event and working in the studio. Michael and a woman seated in the production studio.]
Michael: We started as a video production company, and so as we evolve, we've kind of found our niche in children's programming, and particularly for a global Muslim community.
[Various photos from around Milo Productions studios, showing people at work and banners for various TV series and publications. Transitions to Michael and the woman in the studio.]
[On-screen text: Flordeliza Dayrit, Chief Content Officer and Co-Founder]
Woman offscreen: My name is Flordeliza Dayrit. I am the Chief Content Officer at Milo Productions Inc. in Edmonton, Alberta.
[Photos of Flordeliza at different trade events or in the studio.]
Flordeliza: We started MKTV in 2016, and today, we are available via web app as well as smart TVs. We're also producing movies now.
[Flordeliza at the studio sitting below a large screen displaying an animated show, followed by a segment of the show, Flordeliza typing on a laptop then seated in the studio with Michael.]
Michael: The size of the market here, especially within that niche of Muslim children, is very finite. We realized that we had to go internationally to, you know, make the business feasible.
[Lively drumming. A large screen showing a variety of animated characters from diverse backgrounds, followed by scenes from Milo Productions’ Time Hoppers animated series. Michael and Flordeliza in the studio, followed by picturesque scenes of an Edmonton bridge and ferries on a river.]
Flordeliza: We were at a critical phase where we really need some funding injection to improve our marketing and our content.
[People at work in the studio, including seated at long tables in front of laptops and computer screens, followed by Michael and Flordeliza in the studio.]
Flordeliza: The funding from Creative Export Strategy really helped us acquire over 150 hours of Canadian content. That's about 900 episodes into our platform. So that really made us competitive in the market and led to increase in subscription worldwide.
[Lively music underscores images from different children’s shows, including Zerby Derby, My Big Big Friend, Franklin the Turtle, MathXplosion and Lil’ Doc. Flordeliza and Michael in the studio then in an office space in front of a large screen.]
Flordeliza: Another great thing about receiving the funding is being able to hire people and add them into our team, from production to programming as well as marketing.
[Scenes of people interacting in the office interspersed with scenes of production work and Flordeliza and Michael in the studio.]
Michael: Creating the content is something we love to do. But the biggest challenge is really marketing it.
[Photos of Michael and Flordeliza at the Turkish broadcasters’ kids’ channel with Turkish colleagues, transition to the two of them seated in their studio.]
Michael: We visited the national broadcaster’s kids’ channel in Turkey, and a trade commissioner attended the meeting with us. And the director of the channel was so impressed, she said, if your government believes in you and your product so much, why wouldn't we as a buyer believe in your product, right? So that has been really helpful. And you know, as a Canadian producer, the support that we get gives us a tremendous advantage.
[Aerial views of downtown Edmonton followed by Michael and Flordeliza in the studio.]
Michael: I think that’s one of the great things that we see with the program, is that it's really designed to help Canadian companies be disciplined about monetizing their content, right? And, you know, it's a strategy to help companies really be much more sustainable. So that, I think, is one of the great benefits that we've kind of personally received from the program.
[Photos of Michael and Flordeliza at various events for the theatrical release of their Time Hoppers movie in the Middle East interspersed with photos of film production work featuring Muslim girls and teens, then the two in their studio.]
[Lively music resumes. Aerial views of downtown Edmonton. On-screen text: Canada.ca/creative-export-strategy. Transitions to the Government of Canada logo.]
Sector: Audiovisual
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Creative Export Strategy support: Creative Export Canada funding
About the company
Milo Productions Inc., based in Edmonton, Alberta, produces and broadcasts culturally diverse, family-friendly children’s TV. The company also operates MuslimKids.TV (MKTV), a streaming platform launched in 2016 that offers thousands of TV shows and interactive content with a child-safe, faith and values-based perspective.
MKTV was created to fill a gap in children’s programming that reflects Muslim people, values and realities. It features animated stories, documentaries, games, and educational tools, and is available worldwide online, on mobile apps and Smart TVs.
The export challenge
After its initial launch, MKTV gained traction in Canada and Western countries, but the company realized it needed to expand to more countries – especially those with larger Muslim populations – to keep growing. The company also wanted to acquire more content to keep subscribers interested.
The export project
Milo Productions’ first Creative Export Canada (CEC) project in 2022-2023 focused on licensing Canadian content, boosting international distribution, and enhancing digital marketing and engagement. To help accomplish these new objectives, the company hired two new managers and implemented analytics tools.
The company also received funding for a second project in 2024-2025 that focused on promoting its first feature film, Time Hoppers: The Silk Road, in the Middle East and North Africa.
Outcomes
Funding from the CEC in 2022–2023 helped Milo:
- acquire 900 episodes (150 hours) of new Canadian programming
- add nearly 24,000 subscribers across 7 countries and boost subscriber loyalty by 10%
- triple social media followers, reaching hundreds of millions of views
- partner with CBC Kids, TVO, TFO, and independent distributors to acquire new content
- create 2 new jobs in marketing and engagement
With a stronger brand, a bigger team and more content, Milo Productions was perfectly positioned to take on its second CEC-funded project in 2024-2025 – the theatrical release of its first feature film, Time Hoppers, as well as the release of a spin-off TV series and mobile game.
While this project is still underway, so far, the company has secured theatrical distribution for Time Hoppers in 15 countries across the Middle East, as well as in North and South Africa. The film was also released in early 2026 in theatres in Türkiye, the U.S., the UK and Canada. By the end of its run, the film will have been shown in over 1,000 locations. In addition, Milo Productions is drawing on CEC funding to secure streaming distribution for the Time Hoppers movie, TV series and mobile game. To date, the project has benefited 28 Canadian creative workers.
Advice for potential exporters
“There's tremendous global opportunity for Canadian content producers as there are so many thriving new markets. The Creative Export Strategy helps Canadian producers bring new stories to Canadian screens and take Canadian stories abroad as well. It’s a win-win.”