“YouTube’s Kid Content Domination Forces Big Names to Pivot: Is Your Child’s Favorite Show Next?”

YouTube has reached a significant milestone, accounting for 10% of total TV viewing for the first time. This achievement is sending ripples through the entertainment industry, with its impact being particularly noticeable in the realm of children’s content, where traditional streaming platforms are beginning to pull back.

The platform’s influence in the streaming world is undeniable. While it may not have been considered in the same league as Netflix until recently, YouTube has maintained its position at the top of streaming TV viewership for nearly two consecutive years. This dominance is now exerting pressure on rival companies, especially within its most popular demographic: children.

Over the past year, we’ve witnessed the closure of standalone streaming platforms for kids’ content from major players. Cartoon Network’s Boomerang and Nickelodeon’s Noggin have both shut down operations. Despite being giants in children’s entertainment, these platforms struggled to compete with YouTube’s overwhelming popularity among young viewers.

As a result, Boomerang’s content has been integrated into Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max platform, while Noggin is in the process of closing down, with most of its content already available on Paramount+. Even Disney has faced challenges in attracting sufficient audiences for its children’s content, leading to the incorporation of more adult-oriented programming on Disney+ and offering some shows originally produced for Hulu to provide value to older viewers.

While these companies have consolidated their children’s content into streaming services that also offer adult programming for economic reasons, this strategy may potentially lead to further declines in viewership. Parents might be hesitant to expose their children to platforms where adult content is easily accessible.

Meanwhile, YouTube continues to reign supreme as the go-to destination for kids’ content. The platform has even paved the way for its creators to transition into legacy media. For instance, the hugely popular children’s show COCOMELON began as a YouTube series before being picked up by Netflix.

More recent examples of this trend include channels like Ryan’s World and Ms. Rachel. Ryan’s World recently released a theatrical movie that opened in over 1,200 theaters nationwide. Ms. Rachel, on the other hand, is collaborating with SESAME STREET this year to create educational songs for children.

While the impact of YouTube’s dominance is most noticeable in children’s content, its influence is felt across the entire streaming industry. Every major streaming platform is now strategizing on how to compete with or leverage YouTube’s massive reach.

As reported by Familyguide:

YouTube continues to dominate streaming, a title it’s held for over a year and a half, causing other players in the industry to view it as both a friend and a foe.

Nielsen’s May 2024 TV usage report revealed that YouTube accounted for 9.7% of all TV usage that month, handily beating out Netflix’s second place 7.6% of TV usage, which was more than double that of any other platform. This marked nearly a year and a half of holding the crown just above Netflix’s head.

While YouTube isn’t typically thought of as a streaming service, its dominance in the TV space puts it at odds with traditional media, causing streaming platforms to consider it when creating their long-term strategies.

Disney, for example, has turned to YouTube’s massive audience to promote its content, particularly children’s content, posting clips from upcoming shows to generate hype. While it has yet to do so, it has also considered posting full episodes of shows from Hulu and Disney+ onto YouTube to entice viewers to subscribe to its platforms.