Netflix expands library of kid-centric programs
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- Netflix is expanding its kids slate with a “Gabby’s Dollhouse”-inspired baking and crafting competition, a large Sesame Street collection, and new seasons of preschool favorites.
- Children’s programming now accounts for nearly 22% of Netflix viewing, and analysts say hit kids’ shows can help keep families subscribed even amid streaming cutbacks.
- The push extends beyond TV, with Netflix Jr. bedtime podcasts, new Netflix Playground games like My Very Hungry Caterpillar, and in-person meet-and-greets at emerging Netflix House venues.
Netflix on Monday announced that more content for kids is coming to the streamer, with a new baking and crafting competition series inspired by popular show “Gabby’s Dollhouse.”
Kids programming is a key part of Netflix‘s ecosystem, accounting for nearly 22% of all viewing on the platform last year, the company said. “Gabby’s Dollhouse,” a series about a young girl who goes on adventures in her dollhouse, is among Netflix’s most popular shows, ranking fourth in the second half of last year with about 108 million views.
The new competition show might benefit from its existing fan base, as its challenges are inspired by “Gabby’s Dollhouse” and features young baker duos.
As Netflix faces a drop in U.S. subscribers, the Silicon Valley streaming giant is expanding animated kids shows in India and other countries. Its new series “Mighty Little Bheem,” was developed in India but has become a global hit for Netflix.
“Since Gabby’s Dollhouse first premiered on Netflix in 2021, a world of creativity and imagination has exploded for our young audience and it only continues to grow,” co-creators Jennifer Twomey and Traci Paige Johnson said in a statement.
The program is part of a larger wave of kids programming coming to Netflix. Last year, Netflix struck a deal for the worldwide premiere rights to “Sesame Street,” after Warner Bros. Discovery said it would no longer fund production on new episodes. On Monday, Netflix said the “Sesame Street” collection with more than 100 episodes will be on the streaming service, and next month other library programs, including “Sesame Street Classics” and “My Sesame Street Friends: My Abby Season 2,” will be on Netflix.
Some analysts say kids programming can be attractive to streaming services because if shows become popular, it can help retain customers. It may be more difficult for parents to say no to young children when canceling a subscription.
Since 2021, Netflix has expanded its reach in gaming but with mixed results. The company is launching several TV games this holiday season for families — will this help generate the popularity for games that Netflix seeks?
Other upcoming kids shows on Netflix include the third season of preschool comedy “Dr. Seuss’s Red Fish, Blue Fish” and the second season of “Sheriff Labrador,” which helps children learn safety tips, both of which come out in August.
Netflix also said its podcast “Bedtime Stories with Netflix Jr.,” which tells stories from worlds including “Gabby’s Dollhouse” and “Dr. Seuss,” will be available for streaming on Netflix for the first time Monday. Netflix Playground, the company’s game app, will also add more games, including “My Very Hungry Caterpillar,” later this year.
Visitors to Netflix House locations such as Dallas will also get to meet some of their favorite characters from kids shows, including JJ from “CoComelon Lane” and Elmo from “Sesame Street.”
