Industry predictions for 2025

Experimentation in content creation, AI's ongoing integration and social media bans are some things that could shape our business this year.

January 7, 2025

Just before the holidays, Kidscreen asked its readers to consult their crystal balls and make some bets about what lies ahead for us in 2025. Here are some of the top predictions they shared.

Ellen Doherty (chief creative officer, Fred Rogers Productions)

There has been so much discussion about AI (rightfully), but it’s such a broad term. My hope is that we can move to more nuanced discussions about emerging technologies and the specific opportunities and challenges of each.
While we’re all hopeful for more positive growth in the new year, I continue to see this as a time to try new things—new formats, production models, talent, etc. Choose the scale of experiment you’re comfortable with, but do one thing that’s new to you. A small project is a great way to pilot a new idea.

David Kleeman (SVP of global trends, Dubit)

Any light at the end of the tunnel regarding the stall in commissioning is still a pinprick; let’s hope it’s not an oncoming train. Before things can open up again, various corporate restructurings will have to play out. More importantly, studios and other commissioners need to figure out how to find new relevance and differentiate themselves from the behemoth of YouTube.

While waiting for commissioning to rev up again, more independent producers, writers and creators will experiment with platforms they can control, including YouTube (ironically strengthening that platform’s hand even more) and social game platforms, where small worlds or takeovers can be used to try out and develop ideas and storyworlds.

Australia’s ban on social media is just the start. Other countries will follow. Spoiler alert: It won’t keep tweens and teens off the platforms. It’ll just set off a game of whack-a-mole with VPNs and other workarounds. On the bright side, governments that wait to see the results from Australia will likely seek more nuanced solutions.
Welcome Generation Beta! We’re sorry, and good luck.

Mary Bredin (consultant, Green Tiger Club)

With the new US president focused on removing environmental protections, there will be a strong reaction in the rest of the world, resulting in an increased awareness of climate issues. Parents will also become more aware of the growing risk of mental health challenges created by eco-anxiety. This real concern will encourage broadcasters to greenlight more stories with educational elements in all areas of the environment to give children hope and information for their future.

Maura Regan (president, Licensing International)

Something that made 2024 especially noteworthy from a brand licensing perspective was the growing consumer demand for unique and innovative collaborations. From the Taco Bell and Cheez-It partnership, to the Pokémon x Crocs collection, to the truly impressive consumer products push for the feature film Wicked, consumers have responded overwhelmingly to these exciting partnerships, and the participating IPs are enjoying the resulting growth at retail.

Looking forward, we know that many consumers are concerned about inflation and increasing prices. With families becoming more cautious about discretionary spending, we expect that brands will become more important than ever before. IPs serve as a point of difference, and the emotional connection consumers have with them will be a significant difference-maker as they make purchasing decisions this year.

Vikrant Mathur (co-founder, Future Today)

2025 will be the year when privacy, contextual targeting and AI intersect. With heightened regulatory pressures and consumer awareness around privacy, the traditional models of building audiences based on persistent identifiers (such as cookies) will have to be re-engineered. We predict that this next wave of contextual targeting— Contextual 2.0—powered by advanced, privacy-friendly technologies, will gain broader adoption in the coming year.

The ad tech industry still faces fragmentation across devices, ad formats, methodologies, KPIs, metrics and workflows. One aspiration is to streamline and standardize processes and interactions among advertisers, ad tech platforms, CTV publishers and viewers.

Ron Kerbs (CEO, Kidas)

AI-built games will gain widespread acceptance as more marketplaces open their doors to them. This shift will enable smaller studios to create blockbuster games with minimal resources, democratizing game development and reshaping revenue models across the gaming industry.

With growing concerns around children’s internet access and social media usage, 2025 will likely see at least one of two new US state laws limiting children’s screen time and social media interactions. A major federal law addressing these concerns could also emerge.
Anticipating new leadership at the FTC and fears of government intervention—whether that’s to break up companies like Google or ban platforms like TikTok—big tech will increasingly settle for significant fines related to safety, privacy and competitiveness to avoid harsher penalties.

Gary Pope/Jelena Stosic (co-founder/strategy director, Kids Industries)

The Soft Middle: The smaller nimble players will thrive, and the big beasts will survive. The middle will be squeezed more than ever.

The Long(er) Tale: Creators will continue to experiment with live-action content to support their animation, but will misunderstand how much time and love it still takes to build an audience and pull out before they should.

The Investor Commissioner: IP creation will increasingly start anywhere as a wider range of players brief animation studios. Sporting clubs, zoos, theme parks and even banks will be the new commissioners.

Authentic Kid Co-Creation: We’ve seen it with Roblox, McDonald’s and The Prince of Wales’ plans for tackling climate change, and it’ll continue as Gen Alpha wants to have they say.