Q&A: Kidoodle.TV’s Brenda Bisner

The creators of the Safe Streaming movement for kids, Kidoodle.TV is a tech company that has been on the map since 2012 and has paved the way in the AVOD space as a leader. Its programming is handpicked and human-vetted and does not rely on computer algorithms. Kidoodle.TV is focused on needle-moving brands that kids love and advertising partners want to be associated with. Brenda Bisner, chief content officer at Kidoodle.TV, talks to TV Kids about the strengths of the AVOD model and what’s ahead for the platform.

TV KIDS: With the proliferation of AVOD platforms for kids over the last couple of years, how is Kidoodle.TV positioned to stand out in the marketplace?
BISNER: The AVOD space has been growing significantly, and Kidoodle.TV has a major role to play in that happening. As we look at the AVOD landscape, there is a focus on differentiation, value-add and, of course, partnerships that are supportive. The focus for us is to keep growing and supporting families and their children globally while elevating our relevance in the AVOD space with our partnerships and brands.

TV KIDS: What are some of the factors you see driving the growth of AVOD?
BISNER: The objective from all companies is to get their content distributed more broadly in the AVOD space, which makes the convincing of granting those rights easier. Our reputation has been wildly celebrated as we have been, and remain, a new revenue stream for companies. The driving factors always start with our intuitive product, which we are proud to offer, matched with excellent content and discoverability—all areas we are focused on as we look to cater to families’ needs in the screen-time world we live in.

TV KIDS: How has Kidoodle.TV grown and evolved with the needs of kids over the last few years?
BISNER: In the last two years, we have seen incredible growth of our audience and that we are a trusted place for families. Covid-19 had a lot to do with that; however, so did cord-cutting. Parents aren’t living in the dark when it comes to the dangers children face while online streaming. It takes a second for something to go wrong, and streaming is no different. Our Safe Streaming mission combats that concern. We know parents want their kids to have access easily and be safe, and those reasons will continue to be guided by the principle that every child deserves to have a safe place to watch content.

TV KIDS: What does Safe Streaming mean to you in today’s landscape?
BISNER: Every day, there is reinforcement in the press about the dangers that children face online, further elevating the need for the important work we do to keep kids Safe Streaming. It has been said time and time again: When you cross the street, you hold your child’s hand, which is exactly what we do. Our human-driven approach is something we work hard on for a reason.

TV KIDS: Tell me about the Kidoodle.TV content slate.
BISNER: With pride, we are offering today over 30,000 episodes of content. We have a weekly release schedule that debuts 10 to 20 new shows. Our offering is robust, well organized and evolves as quickly as the attention span of a child. We work to ensure that not just the top brands are on Kidoodle.TV, but also that favorites from all over are accessible. We are actively closing many deals a week, which will remain focused on needle-moving brands.

TV KIDS: What’s guiding the current acquisition strategy?
BISNER: When we look at any brand, we are looking at the content plus who the partner is. We do a lot of the heavy lifting, and we expect our partners to also contribute to that success. It’s important that any company and brand in the AVOD space has a social media strategy that can be tapped into and delivered in a meaningful way to today’s busy parents. Big brands will have the most success because they are known. The fun comes when we find a new gem that thrives and sits competitively with the major brands. We are not a niche channel; we serve kids under 12 in over 160 countries, so we are always looking at a lot. Last year, our gaming offering grew over 500 percent, and this year, we will be ramping that area up even more.

TV KIDS: What are you currently looking for in the marketplace, and what would you like to see more of?
BISNER: Diversity in content is grossly underserved in general. Viral content that shows real kids from many parts of the world is something that is exciting for us to watch and gather for our audience. Gaming content is also a strong sector for us; anything from Roblox to Minecraft gamers continues to thrive as kids grow stronger in those communities. We are currently rolling out some more major brands and will continue that process throughout the year. In addition, movies are something we plan to increase as we look to marketing moments and events to drive viewership.

TV KIDS: What’s on the planner with regard to original programming?
BISNER: We have had a lot of fun with originals and rolled out three additional ones in Q4 last year. It’s an important part of our strategy and a great way for new creators to make an impact and create. Supporting the talent making content is something we care about, and Kidoodle.TV’s values are something the community is excited about. We will continue to deliver unique content in new ways, as the production models have drastically changed since the emergence of the AVOD space in general. We are committed to growing in this area and changing the way content gets made.

TV KIDS: What does Kidoodle.TV offer to producers and distributors that makes it a great partner for brands?
BISNER: We always say, “Welcome to the Kidoodle.TV family,” when we engage with a new partner, and we mean it. We work very hard to be accessible to our partners so we can contribute to the success of content and the mission of Safe Streaming globally for kids and families. We have a very competitive business model, matched with extraordinary reach and a quality experience. The team is dedicated to this important work, and that shows in all areas of the business, including advertising. Last year we also rolled out a back-end analytics portal, making us the first in the AVOD space [to do so], and our partners love it. The goal was to have a transparent view on performance so not only could decisions on support be made in real time, but our partners could participate.

TV KIDS: Podcasts have been a new area for Kidoodle.TV. What other formats and types of content does Kidoodle.TV want to bring to kids outside of traditional episodic programming?
BISNER: The audio experience is a no-brainer when it comes to the screen-time fatigue we all feel. Studying the podcast space has continuously pointed to it being a strong trend, and we were one of the first to roll that out. Adding more podcasts is a focus, as is more music-based streams. We have found that when we have a user, they make Kidoodle.TV part of their life. Music and podcasts support that growth.

TV KIDS: How are you working to grow the reach of the platform so that it can be enjoyed by as many kids as possible around the world?
BISNER: Connected TVs, along with iOS and Android, have always been our point of entry for families and will continue to be a major focus of expansion, as well as other new areas. Looking at the AVOD space in general, there are a lot of choices, and we will continue to work on new ways to break through the clutter and evolve as fast as the space is.

TV KIDS: Is localizing for international markets going to increase in focus as well?
BISNER: We know that families’ first language may not be English, and we know that we have families in over 160 countries enjoying the service. We will be adding more language content and strategic marketing to support those languages in key markets.