Netflix is digging into its popular kids library to test a new “playlist” model that provides young viewers with continuous programming—not too long after its competitor Disney+ implemented the same strategy.
Starting tomorrow (September 24), the streaming giant is rolling out 10 themed playlists that will be available for a limited period of time to select subscribers in the US, France, South Korea and Brazil.
Targeting viewers ages seven and under, each playlist will curate episodes from kids TV hits like Gabby’s Dollhouse (pictured), CoComelon Lane, Peppa Pig, Spirit Rangers, Hot Wheels Let’s Race and Waffles + Mochi’s Restaurant, to name just a few.
Themes appear to range from the ABCs to dinosaurs in this batch, which also includes a Bedtime playlist (soothing episodes that help viewers wind down), a Music playlist (episodes that feature singing and dancing prominently) and a Vehicle playlist (likely packed with Netflix’s many shows focused on anthropomorphic cars and trains).
If it’s eventually implemented more widely, this strategy could help attract family viewers with the same appeal of FAST channels—taking away the chore of finding titles, prompting more content discovery for Netflix’s vast kids catalogue, and potentially boosting its watch time, which is already on the rise (up to 94 billion hours in the first half of 2024, compared to 90 billion from July to December 2023, according to the streamer’s latest biannual data report).
Earlier this month, fellow streamer Disney+ began rolling out its own playlists in the US and is now offering a number of these always-on channels, including one with a preschool content focus featuring titles like Sofia the First, The Lion Guard, Puppy Dog Pals and Minnie’s Bow-Toons. Disney’s SVOD is also looking to launch Marvel and Star Wars hubs later this year.
Image courtesy of Netflix