SAMG Entertainment, the animation studio behind 'Catch! Teenieping,' and SM Entertainment are teaming up to co-produce an animated series. The two companies announced on the 27th that they have signed a contract to co-produce the animation tentatively titled 'Superhero Idol Project.'

The project is planned as a 13-episode 3D animated series, with each episode running approximately 20 minutes. The goal is to release the series on a global OTT platform in 2028. The show will combine the world-building of K-pop artists with a superhero narrative, featuring characters and storytelling tied to the artists' IP. The target audience ranges from teenagers to those in their 20s and 30s. SAMG Entertainment noted that the number of episodes, production timeline, and release date may be adjusted based on mutual agreement and production circumstances.

SAMG Entertainment is a 3D animation studio that began as SamG Animation in 2000. It created 'Miniforce,' 'Metal Cardbot,' and 'Wishcat,' and established a strong presence in the kids and family market with the 'Catch! Teenieping' series. The 2024 film 'Heartsping: Love of Fairy Teenieping' drew 1.24 million viewers, ranking among the top-grossing domestic animations, and won a ministerial award in the animation category at the 2024 Korea Content Awards. As of 2025, the company reported ₩141.2 billion in revenue and ₩22.6 billion in operating profit.

SM Entertainment, founded in 1995, celebrated its 30th anniversary last year. As a pioneer in the K-pop industry, it has consistently produced iconic groups ranging from first-generation idols like H.O.T. and S.E.S. to fourth and fifth-generation acts such as aespa, NCT DREAM, NCT WISH, RIIZE, and Hearts to Hearts. As of 2025, SM Entertainment reported consolidated revenue of ₩1.1749 trillion and an operating profit of ₩183 billion.

The collaboration between the two companies has expanded in stages. Following a strategic partnership agreement in February 2025, they released collaborative merchandise featuring 'Catch! Teenieping' and Hearts to Hearts in July. In October, they launched 'aespa-ping' products, which reimagined aespa members as Teenieping characters. In December, NCT WISH participated in the OST for 'Catch! Teenieping' Season 6, and in January of this year, the group collaborated on a character and OST for 'Wishcat' Season 2, marking a steady stream of joint projects.

Unlike previous efforts that involved adding elements of one partner to an existing IP, this contract is structured to co-develop a new IP from the ground up. The two companies aim to build an 'integrated IP business' model that extends beyond animation production into music, concerts, management, video content, and licensing. The vision is to combine the long-term licensing revenue structure of animation with the fandom-based revenue model of K-pop into a single IP.

Animations featuring K-pop themes have recently seen success in the global market. The Netflix film 'K-Pop: Demon Hunters,' produced by Sony Pictures Animation, recorded 266 million cumulative views after its release on June 20, 2025, making it the most-watched film or series in Netflix history. Netflix calculates rankings based on cumulative views over the first 91 days of release. However, that project was produced by a U.S. studio, with no K-pop agency participating as a primary producer.

Kim Su-hoon, CEO of SAMG Entertainment, said, "In recent years, demand for global-oriented animation infused with Korean culture has grown significantly. This will be a new type of global IP that combines SAMG Entertainment's mass-market animation influence with the powerful fandom of global K-pop leader SM Entertainment." He added, "We will build a high-value revenue structure through a new business model that has never existed before, spanning content, music, and the licensing industry."