#57 Kids Screen Time + How to Win the Next Generation of Viewers

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April 1, 2021 - ThursdayHi readers,Happy April Fools day! Today we discuss changes in kids' online content consumption, and its impact on media company investment and deal activity. Separately, to build upon our recent LinkedIn post about the NFT hype, our team is in the process of minting an NFT, likely one of our tweets, for us to purchase (no, we're not in the NFT syndication market yet). We'll document the journey and share our findings via a short how-to doc.Lastly, if you like what we're putting down, please forward this newsletter to a friend or share today's blog post on LinkedIn / Twitter.Onward,Chris

NEW INDUSTRY REPORTKids Screen Time Is Exploding, 20+ Deals, and How To Win the Next Generation of Viewers (and More Importantly, Their Parents!) 

by Andrew Cohen, Hans Lee, Chris ErwinWHAT’S happening? Media and entertainment companies are rapidly investing in building out their kids-focused content verticals — we’ve tracked over 20 major investments, deals, and partnerships around digital kids content over the past two years, and activity is accelerating.WHY is this happening? Digital content consumption among kids is growing at unprecedented rates — in 2020, for the first time, children younger than eight were watching more videos online than live TV or a streaming service — and so are regulatory restrictions moderating this activity. Publishers and platforms see an opportunity to bolster long-term fan loyalty by capturing the first truly “digital-first-native” generation, but a unique legal landscape requires unique solutions. Of note, 13 of the 16 highest grossing media franchises are from kids IP...Highlights from today's Industry Report:

• 20+ transactions and success stories in kids media like Apple teaming up with Common Sense Media, the NFL streaming a wild card game on Nickelodeon, and Nastya signing with Westbrook Studios for a slate of animated projects.

• Trends driving the explosion in kids screen time and viewership, like that 70% of parents estimate that their kids spend at least four hours with screens every day, a 33% usage increase VS prior to COVID.

• Regulatory hurdles restricting the space's momentum, including the prediction that by 2021 800 million kids will be protected by digital privacy laws, up from 130 million in 2018.

• Strategic guidelines companies are using to engage and monetize kids / parent audiences, including game-based learning, in-app purchases, Roblox activations, and more.

Click here to read the full report

Thank you for reading "Through Line", a newsletter that explores the intersection of Media and Commerce. New to our newsletter? Sign up here.I'm Chris Erwin, the founder of RockWater. We do market research and executive strategy advisory for clients like Google, YouTube, Revry, Mitsui, ViacomCBS, WarnerMedia, FilmNation, Whistle, Chive Media Group, AtmosphereTV, Team Coco, and more. Want to work with us? Get in touch.