Childrens’ TV: new audiences and new platforms

There’s a seismic shift taking place in childrens’ TV and despite shrinkage in amount of time youngsters spend watching conventional linear TV (down 50 minutes since 2010), ad-revenues continue to grow overall typically by 25% year-on-year, meaning that the genre still holds plenty of appeal for broadcasters.

One new entrant is Beano Studios, formed to develop video and on-line content from the much-loved UK comic.

Jodie Morris, Director of Digital Content, told IBC delegates: “We are an 80-year-old start up! Our character library is some 2,000 strong, and they are being made relevant for a new age and across all platforms.”

Beano is creating video content for CBBC (“Dennis Unleashed”) and in particular for youngsters aged 8-12. “We have a strong legacy brand, and we are using social media but also want to maintain family-based viewing.”

Turner Broadcasting’s Marc Goodchild (Head of Digital Strategy & Product) said that today’s consumption pattern is very different to 10 years ago. “Content is as important as ever. Online, we see, as being complementary not cannibalistic. But it also means that we are creating short-form, 2-3 minute video, to cater for on-line.”

Kate Walker, Marketing Director at aggregator and licensor WildBrain and working with YouTube, NBC/U and Turner, amongst others, said that data analytics was increasingly important in understanding trends and tastes. “Even illegally pirated – and uploaded – content could be useful in providing data, and in creating content that tapped into new trends.”

Beano’s Morris said that they amplify interest with quizzes, tests, games and puzzles suitable for users. “Personalisation sounds like a good idea, but its tough to scale and the engineering is far from simple.”

Goodchild added that VR and AR was not yet important for his target audience.

“The hardware is not child-centric and too expensive. There’s cardboard Google but you also need a phone. There might be benefits but there are also risks.”