The value of children’s programming to prevent churn on streaming services has long been a well-known audience retention strategy.
After all, no adult account holder really wants to face the wrath of a small tearful face when they can no longer watch their favourite series.
But beyond keeping accounts active to appease younger viewers, Digital i data shows that children’s programming can add further value for streamers, as kids’ viewing habits fill the gap left by the typically lower adult audience engagement in the early part of the day.
As the chart below shows, the distribution of viewing during the day highlights the important role kids play in shaping daily viewing patterns.
Children’s content drives the very first peak in UK viewership, particularly between 6 AM and 9 AM. This early spike is driven by morning routines, such as pre-school or breakfast-time viewing, when adult content consumption is still relatively low.
Kids’ content essentially fills an otherwise quiet part of the day for streamers. For platforms, this illustrates the strategic value of having strong kids’ programming - not just for attracting young audiences, but also for maximising total daily reach.
Platform Consistency
Furthermore, while the platforms may vary, the consistency of British children’s viewing behaviours remains the same.
We took a look at the distribution of viewing to kids' content by time of day and by platform in the UK during 2024.
Whether it’s Prime Video, Disney+, Netflix, YouTube or linear TV, our data shows the same general shape in viewing behaviour: two clear peaks - one in the early morning, and another in the late afternoon to early evening.
As can be seen in the chart below, children's shows account for just over 10% of viewing of all linear TV viewing at 8 AM, likely due to the accessibility and ease of switching on a children's channel at that early time of day.
A second peak around 5 PM to 7 PM aligns with after-school hours, when kids winddown and return to screens. At this point, children's content accounts for a higher percentage of viewing on streaming platforms than on linear TV, showing a shift as the day progresses.
Throughout the rest of the day, viewing levels remain steady, with a sharp decline after 8 PM, which likely reflects bedtime routines across households.
Would you like to know more?
To read our latest streaming Trend Report, click here.
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