What Parents Need to Know About Kidzuko, Sony’s Kids YouTube Zone
Movieguide® Contributor
Sony snagging its own corner of YouTube with its new kids’ channel, Kidzuko.
“The studio’s kids division has launched a YouTube hub called Kidzuko targeted at children ages 3-8 that will offer them (and their parents) free access to some of Sony’s kids content,” The Hollywood Reporter said Sept. 19. “The channel, which went live Thursday morning, features episodes of Sony-produced series OCTONAUTS, THE CREATURE CASES, PETER RABBIT and CHICO BON BON: MONKEY WITH A TOOL BELT, along with clips, compilation videos, educational content and shorts showing how to draw certain characters, among other offerings.”
The studio aims to introduce kids to its content early as YouTube is one of the leading platforms kids use.
“The watch time for kids on YouTube is just growing every year,” said Joe D’Ambrosia, executive VP and general manager for Sony Pictures Television — Kids. “One of the reasons we wanted to launch Kidzuko is today, almost 60 percent of kids are most likely to discover new IP on YouTube, so we knew we had to be there.”
“We really wanted to pick a very distinct name that was fun for little ones to say,” he D’Ambrosia said. “We tested numerous different monikers for the channel, and Kidzuko was the clear winner, because it made kids smile. They giggled and they laughed when they said it, as did their parents.”
Other than making its content familiar to kids, Sony is using the channel to further its franchises.
“We really do want make sure our shows can travel globally in order to be successful,” D’Ambrosia said. “With Creature Cases and Octonauts, those two shows became really huge, breakout hits because they were both great for kids and for co-viewing with their parents. We’re always looking for an element of comedy tied in, and we also want it to be playable for kids since kids like to role-play the shows that they see. So we are constantly looking at new ideas and exploring ways to develop some of the really great and iconic IP that’s in the Sony library.”
As of Sept. 30, the channel had 381k subscribers. And an OCTONAUTS episode, “Back To School,” already has 27k views.
Movieguide®’s review of OCTONAUTS Season 1 reads:
OCTONAUTS Season 1 displays a moral worldview. The octonauts demonstrate nothing but compassion for marine life inhabitants. They work together to get things done and encourage each other when anyone needs it. The characters also exhibit good sportsmanship and befriend their enemies…
Each character has a unique voice that matches their character, drawing young viewers in. The animation style is very engaging, and the characters are cute with lots of round features. The marine life the octonauts come across is created to look much cuter than their real-world counterparts. But at the end of each episode, a clip shows what the animal looks like in real life.
OCTONAUTS Season 1 strives to educate kids about the ocean and why it’s important to keep it habitable for marine life. The show displays a moral/Biblical worldview with no questionable elements whatsoever.
