Air Bud Returns: Canine Franchise Retakes International Sales

By Grace Kim

"Air Bud Returns" reaches theaters in January, and Air Bud Entertainment arrives at this year's American Film Market (AFM, the Los Angeles rights-trading event) with international sales and licensing back in-house for the first time in 15 years. The move ends a long run of major studio partnerships spanning more than 22 films and four series with Disney and Netflix.

The company's AFM slate includes four assets: the new theatrical feature "Air Bud Returns," a companion project titled "Air Bud Origins," the live-action series "Air Buddy: Dream Team," and international licensing rights across the full Air Bud Entertainment library.

What is the company actually selling?

Robert Vince, CEO and founder of Air Bud Entertainment and writer-director-producer of "Air Bud Returns," framed the new film as the start of a third chapter.

"'Air Bud Returns' is an all-new theatrical movie that launches Air Bud into the third chapter of the beloved franchise," Vince said. "It all began with an independent movie acquired by Disney for theatrical distribution, followed by four 'Air Bud' sequels and the nine-film 'Air Buddies' franchise. We have a track record of creating, reimagining and launching franchises and we are looking for international partners who want to build the next chapter with us."

That history matters to the sales pitch. The original "Air Bud" films were independently produced and licensed to Disney for U.S. distribution, not studio-made product. "We only ever sold our own the films that we created, so we're pretty much specialists in family film," Vince said.

Why bring sales in-house now?

Vince ran his own international sales operation until 2018 and 2019, before the studio partnerships took over. He said a changed distribution market made this the moment to return — pointing to streaming economics as the mechanism.

"I saw a unique opportunity in that the landscape has changed dramatically. So now you can go worldwide transactionally at the same time. You can in multiple languages. You can have SVOD players take SVOD, and then so it leaves you in this unique position where you can go to all the best buyers in all the best countries and say, 'Look, we love to be partners with you,'" Vince said. SVOD, subscription video on demand, refers to flat-fee streaming services like Netflix.

The alternative, he noted, is selling directly to transactional platforms and streamers without a middleman. His read on the incumbents is blunt: "The studios are really not, including Disney, not really focusing on family."

What does this change for buyers?

The pitch rests on owned IP and consistency. "In our case a very large paw print," Vince said. "We have the 'Air Bud' franchise, which we own, and all the IP and all the new movie and a 22-movie library with all like-minded content that we created. So it's all from the same creators and feels the same."

Deals are already moving. The company has partnered with Cineverse in the United States and Elevation in Canada, and Vince said negotiations are underway with buyers in Latin America and Spain. He expects to announce more partners soon.

One clarification for fans: "Air Bud Returns" is a reimagining, not a sequel, with "all new characters other than, of course, Air Bud himself," Vince said. Whether a 1990s canine franchise can recruit a new generation of international buyers — and audiences — will become clear after the January theatrical release.