Move over, YouTube Kids, there’s a new sheriff in town.
Netflix
has launched a new, free, ad-less gaming app called Playground that’s designed for children up to age 8.
Parents will be able to find all the
Peppa Pig,
StoryBots,
Sesame Street, et cetera games they’d like to hear over and over until bedtime.
Netflix meanwhile adds another node to its quietly expanding empire of kids’ content. (It’s the second-most watched genre on the service, in no small part thanks to
CoComelon.)
Why would Netflix be keen for the attention of kids who can’t be monetized? Because the company has its eyes on families as a way to juice its subscription revenue.
A hit kids’ show means parents are less likely to churn and more willing to put that app on every device…at which point they’ll watch
Virgin River,
WWE Raw, and whatever else tickles their streaming fancy.
—AN