Nickelodeon Announces First YouTube Original Kids Series
By Movieguide® Contributor
Nickelodeon just announced its first original YouTube series, KID COWBOY, with hopes that it will help it break into the popular streaming app.
“KID COWBOY follows the escapades of the title character, as he keeps watch over the diverse, futuristic kid world of Esperanza, fighting for good in the name of The Cowboy Code — Be Brave! Be Kind! Be True!” a press release from Nickelodeon reads.
Using “immersive Spanish language and interactive play-along adventures,” KID COWBOY is designed to help preschoolers “use critical thinking” skills.
“KID COWBOY is a futuristic playground of flying robo-horses, incredible music, and a cast of kids as diverse and dynamic as the stories they’re living,” creator Freddy Wexler said of the show. “The move to premiere it on YouTube signals a strategic pivot to meet audiences where they are — on digital-first platforms — while setting a new standard for how franchises are born. KID COWBOY isn’t just a show; it’s a reimagining of cowboy culture and a new blueprint for how kids’ entertainment can evolve in a world dominated by streaming and short-form content.”
KID COWBOY premiered first on Nickelodeon’s BLAZE AND THE MONSTER MACHINES channel earlier this month. If it proves to be successful, the show will receive its own YouTube channel.
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“Over the past five years, we have invested to build one of the strongest and largest YouTube networks in the industry. While this allows us to support our iconic franchises, it also allows us to introduce new IP where the largest share of kids are,” Ashley Kaplan, Executive Vice President of Nickelodeon’s Unscripted & Digital Franchise Studio, said in a press release.
She elaborated on the point in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, saying, “Ninety percent of all kids are on [YouTube]. It has 60 to 70 percent more reach among kids than Netflix does. Kids spend 80 minutes a day watching content there, and its influence on the biggest IP is super clear.”
Kaplan explained that YouTube has “the most critical role” in how children discover and connect with shows and brands, adding that she has “worked to build out the largest YouTube network out of any kids media company.”
“Ultimately, our goal is not to just build large YouTube channels. It’s to build the next big kids’ franchise,” she continued. “It starts on YouTube, but it goes beyond that to long form, possibly even theatrical, and into toys. I’m excited that in success, we could partner with our studio, Paramount Pictures, to see KID COWBOY come to life in long form. That’s the dream.”
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