YouTube Red Invests in Original Series for YouTube Kids App

NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES: YouTube Red has made its first-ever investment in original series available on the YouTube Kids app.

YouTube’s global head of original content, Susanne Daniels, is adding four new original series to YouTube Red that are being created with the YouTube Kids app in mind. The new series will feature top creators DanTDM, Joe and Cody of TheAtlanticCraft, tween music act L2M and Fruit Ninja. The series will debut starting in the spring. One of the first series to launch will be Hyperlinked, inspired by a true story and starring music sensation L2M.

Other new originals include DanTDM Creates a Big Scene, featuring DanTDM and his animated friends; The Kings of Atlantis, following young monarchs Cody and Joe in the underwater city of Atlantis; and Fruit Ninja: Frenzy Force, about four Fruit Ninjas who set up a juice stand as a front for the messiest secret service in the world. This marks the first time YouTube Red has invested in creators who are producing original programming for family audiences. Additional shows are in development and will premiere throughout the year. YouTube Kids has racked up more than 30 billion views on the app to date and more than 8 million active viewers of the app each week.

“Since launching the YouTube Kids app in 2015, we’ve seen an incredible response from kids and families around the world,” said Malik Ducard, the global head of family and learning for YouTube. “Eight million weekly active users in just two years is both an exciting accomplishment and confirmation to our amazing partners globally that the content they work so hard to create is really resonating with families. From DIY tutorials and language learning to science experiments, magic tricks and animated shows, we are inspired by the storytelling creators are doing every single day. And building on this strong foundation, we’re also excited to be announcing new deals with content originals and connected TVs.”

“Our investment in these YouTube Red originals is an exciting step that allows us to continue to provide the most robust roster of programming that is fun for the whole family, especially for kids using the YouTube Kids app,” said Nadine Zylstra, the head of family entertainment and learning for YouTube Originals. “We put a lot of thought into which shows to launch first and we are excited that with this lineup there is something for everyone whether you love gaming or pop songs.”

YouTube Kids is coming soon to smart TVs.