TV KIDS FEBRUARY 2026

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FEBRUARY 2026 EDITION

2026 Trend Watch / The Magic of Disney Jr.

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CONTENTS

Here to Stay “Survive till ’25” was an oft-heard catchphrase leading into last year, as if the conditions of the market would magically right themselves and the industry would return to the way it once was.

Ricardo Seguin Guise Publisher Anna Carugati Group Editorial Director Jamie Stalcup Executive Editor Rafael Blanco Managing Editor Kloudia Sakowski Associate Editor Rafael Blanco Editor, Spanish-Language Publications David Diehl Production & Design Director Simon Weaver Online Director Dana Mattison Sales & Marketing Director Genovick Acevedo Sales & Marketing Manager Bookkeeper Ute Schwemmer

Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP TV Kids ©2026 WSN INC. 401 Park Avenue South, 10th Floor New York, NY 10016, U.S.A. Phone: (212) 924-7620 www.tvkids.com

It seems, however, that there has been a deeper structural shift that is here to stay.

With economic uncertainty continuing and an extremely fragmented ecosystem, producers and distributors stress how vital it is for their strategies to ensure that every IP has a presence wherever kids are—whether through digital-first content on YouTube, branded games on Roblox, in-person experiences, etc.—in order to be engaged with. They also stress how imperative it is to work together to get projects financed and sold around the world.

This is a common refrain you will hear in this edition’s feature, in which leading producers and distributors reflect on the past year and offer their views on the trends that may pop up this year. You will hear similar insights in the keynotes and panels of the sixth edition of our TV Kids Festival, which can be viewed here.

And although the loudest news is often about the challenges of the business, you’ll also hear that many are feeling optimistic and even invigorated by where they might lead. “The industry has always faced challenges, and we’ve always adapted,” Boat Rocker Studios’ Gia DeLaney tells us.

“Often, those challenges push us to be more creative and thoughtful.” —Jamie Stalcup

WHAT’S NEXT? Leading distributors and producers share their thoughts on how they are navigating the challenges of the market and what 2026 may hold.

DISNEY MAGIC Ayo Davis and Alyssa Sapire talk about connecting with preschoolers through the Disney Jr. brand.

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9 Story Media Group/Scholastic Entertainment Do Not Watch This Show / Paris & Pups / Dragon Girls Do Not Watch This Show, from 9 Story Media Group, follows a monster who is desperate for viewers to stop watching. “Built on clever reverse psychology—literally daring viewers not to tune in—the show taps into kids’ natural curiosity and sense of mischief,” says Alix Wiseman, senior VP of distribution and acquisitions. Paris & Pups, inspired by Paris Hilton’s real pets, centers on Paris Star and her five pups as they spread kindness and confidence. In Dragon Girls, three girls are transported to a magical realm and transformed into powerful, shimmering dragons.

BBC Studios Kids & Family

Paris & Pups

“9 Story is strategically focused on delivering standout content that performs across platforms and borders.”

—Alix Wiseman

Zog

Zog / Crookhaven / My Friend Maisy

BBC Studios Kids & Family is distributing Magic Light Pictures’ Zog, which follows the adventures of the big-hearted dragon Zog. Crookhaven takes place at a school where young crooks from around the world are secretly selected to hone their skills for good. My Friend Maisy, based on the books

by Lucy Cousins, follows the adventures of Maisy and her friends. Also available, “Rafi the Wishing Wizard brings something fresh to the preschool landscape—a classic family sitcom but with a magical twist,” says Katharina Pietzsch, VP of content sales for BBC Studios Kids & Family.

“It’s an incredibly exciting moment for BBC Studios Kids & Family as we continue to champion exceptional storytelling aandworld‑class productions.”

—Katharina Pietzsch

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Boat Rocker Studios

The Next Step: Cheer / Dino Ranch: Island Explorers / Girl Troop vs Aliens From Boat Rocker Studios comes The Next Step: Cheer, which follows The Next Step’s Kenzie as she leads a cheer squad whose legendary coach abruptly leaves. “We’re also rolling out Dino Ranch: Island Explorers,” says Gia DeLaney, senior VP of global sales and content for kids and family. “In the new series, the Cassidy clan heads to the mysterious Dino Island, home to Uncle Jack Cassidy and lots of new dinosaur species.” The new live-action comedy Girl Troop vs Aliens follows four 12-year-old girls whose summer camp gets infiltrated by aliens.

Pink Parrot Media

Girl Troop vs Aliens

“Going forward, we’re laser-focused on creating a world-class content creation and rights management business by investing in best-in-class IP.” —Gia DeLaney

Lotte & Totte

Butterfly Academy / Momonsters / Lotte & Totte Leading Pink Parrot Media’s slate is Butterfly Academy, a 3D animated series that follows monarch butterflies. “Momonsters differentiates itself through its hybrid animation style and its narrative structure rooted in real childhood experiences from around the world,” says Begoña Esteban, head of international TV sales and acquisitions. Lotte & Totte, inspired by the classic Scandinavian picture books by Gunilla Wolde, “captures the astonishing discoveries and emotions of early childhood, from learning to do things independently to understanding new routines and feelings,” Esteban says.

“Our catalog is built around stories that entertain while also offering children meaningful experiences, strong characters and values that resonate beyond the screen.”

—Begoña Esteban

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pocket.watch

JJ & Mikey / Love, Diana Musical Mysteries / Rabbit Hole JJ & Mikey, featuring the gaming duo of the same name, tops pocket.watch’s slate. The pair engage in virtual battles where creativity and friendship save the day. Love, Diana Musical Mysteries features 3D animation, engaging puzzles, learning opportunities and original songs. Rabbit Hole, a brand-new comedy variety series for tweens, stars creators such as Jesser, Topper Guild, ZHC, Sofie Dossi and more. “The creators in these shows have proven international reach and appeal, with international fan bases,” says David B. Williams, senior VP and general manager of channels.

Rabbit Hole

“As the trailblazing veterans bringing creator content to streaming platforms around the globe, we’re evolving with the market, growing with our audience and staying ahead of the curve.”

—David B. Williams

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WildBrain

The Snoopy Show / L’il Stompers / Zip and the Tiny Sprouts Leading WildBrain’s offering, The Snoopy Show follows the beloved beagle as he goes on new adventures with Woodstock and the Peanuts gang. “WildBrain-produced Peanuts content, including The Snoopy Show, is timeless, funny and full of heart, sure to delight both new fans as well as those who grew up with Snoopy and the Peanuts gang,” says Katie Wilson, VP of global sales and acquisitions. L’il Stompers centers on dinosaurs who love playing and exploring the world. Zip and the Tiny Sprouts “showcases a deep understanding of what helps young hearts and minds grow,” Wilson says.

The Snoopy Show

“From animation to live action, we have something to appeal to every age group and platform.”

—Katie Wilson

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Siyaya— Come Wild With Us

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Spotlight on

By Jamie Stalcup

F

Siyaya

rom Francois Odendaal Productions (FOP Films), the Siyaya children’s adventure franchise continues to grow, with six seasons already completed and more in development. In the series, veteran filmmaker and ecologist Dr. François Odendaal, CEO of FOP Films, leads a group of kids as they travel across the world, encountering wildlife, discovering other cultures and learning what it means to be thoughtful explorers. From expansive savannas, rugged coastlines, hidden ecosystems and rural communities, Odendaal and the kids go on a hands-on exploration of nature.

“Siyaya speaks to children of all ages in a language they understand: taking care of the world so that younger siblings, friends and future explorers can follow in their footsteps,” Odendaal says. “The series encourages kids to see themselves as part of a shared future—one built on respect for animals, people and places—making big ideas accessible, empowering and deeply relatable for family audiences.”

Plus, the series offers flexibility for buyers in other regions, with multiple seasons having already been dubbed into other languages. The franchise has also begun working with a cost-effective partner for dubbing and subtitling into any language, allowing for easy localization. n

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Kedoo Entertainment’s Booba.

WHAT’S NEXT? Leading distributors and producers tell TV Kids how they are tackling the challenges of discoverability and funding and the trends they predict will come out ahead in 2026. By Jamie Stalcup

L

eading up to last year, we all heard “survive till ’25,” as if the year would bring a correction that would set the industry back to how it was before. Alas, no such correction came. Instead, economic uncertainty continues, budgets remain tight, commissioning is down and buyers are still risk averse. Producers and distributors are coming to terms with the fact that the industry will never quite be the same.

“What we’re seeing across the kids’ sector is more of a structural reset than a short-term correction,” says Gia DeLaney, senior VP of global sales

TV KIDS

and content for kids and family at Boat Rocker Studios. “The ‘survive till ’25’ mindset was really a checkpoint, not a finish line.”

“While the year was widely anticipated as a recovery point for the industry, in reality, the most significant developments throughout 2025 were the continued recalibration of the kids’ content marketplace and the transition toward new business models,” notes Olivier Bernard, COO and co-founder of Kedoo Entertainment.

This continued recalibration has forced companies to adapt, leading to more innovative approaches to getting shows made and making sure they get in front of kids. Where there is change, there is opportunity.

“There’s a lot of negativity out there, but as Churchill said, ‘Never waste a good crisis,’” says Genevieve Dexter, CEO and founder of Serious Kids.

“You’ve got to think: What opportunities does this [disruption] throw up for your company? That’s really what you have to analyze, rather than just closing your eyes, crossing your fingers and hoping something’s going to fall in your lap.”

DISCOVERABILITY DILEMMA In a fragmented market with programming spread across a plethora of platforms, it can be difficult for kids to actually find content. Discoverability remains “the biggest challenge of all,” says Emmanuèle Pétry, producer and head of international at Dandelooo.

It is imperative to be everywhere kids consume content to make sure they actually find your programming. This means companies must have a deep understanding of kids’ behavior and ensure that a multiplatform rollout is part of the strategy from the very beginning.

“We rely heavily on data, analytics and fast iteration to optimize content for each platform,” explains Miguel Aldasoro, international sales and co-productions director at Ánima Kitchent. “It is essential to be where families are actually consuming content today, creating what they enjoy and how they like to watch it in order to capture attention.”

How they like to watch is just as important as where. “We’re actively exploring new short-form and interactive formats, ensuring our IPs meet young audiences where and how they consume media today,” explains Kedoo’s Bernard. “We make sure our content is optimized using real-time data analytics, allowing us to tailor production and distribution to audience behavior and preference.”

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Both Ánima Kitchent and Kedoo have found particular success with launching IPs through a digital-first strategy. Ánima Kitchent reintroduced its flagship IP Cleo & Cuquín with exclusive content for YouTube, which caught the attention of kids and other platforms. HBO Max commissioned a second season of Cuquín as a result. The company is prepping the new series Howly & Wooly for digital as well.

Kedoo, meanwhile, debuted Booba on YouTube as a three-minute short. As it captured eyeballs and grew its fan base, the series was extended to five minutes and eventually seven and landed on Disney+.

“The clear winner for discoverability is YouTube,” asserts Albie Hecht, chief content officer at pocket.watch, which noticed the power of YouTube very early on and was launched to expand creators’ brands. Since the company operates “at the intersection of the creator economy and traditional entertainment, we’re able to develop shows that already resonate with kids before they ever hit a TV or streaming platform.”

While YouTube has emerged as a key way to get an IP in front of kids, some distributors have their reservations. Dandelooo’s Pétry says, “The YouTube situation in the kids’ sector is becoming extremely problematic fundamentally because it’s based on an unfair economic model. YouTube is not only capturing a major chunk of the advertising budget without investing a penny into the production of children’s programming, but they are also keeping the majority of the revenue as a ‘distributor.’”

Those who do regularly make use of YouTube, however, acknowledge that it has its downsides. “YouTube and other digital platforms do not allow impactful revenues from the start,” Bernard notes. But putting content on there is still vital, as it allows “studios to build recurring revenue streams over time to fund future episodes or projects rather than depending solely on sales.”

FINDING FUNDING Boat Rocker Studios is introducing a spin-off to The Next Step, titled The Next Step: Cheer.

And finding new monetization and funding models is vitally important

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Cuquín is part of Ánima Kitchent’s flagship preschool brand Cleo & Cuquín. in this day and age. Collaboration is a key part in pulling together a financial plan and getting projects over the line.

“Financing is now being shared more widely and strategically,” notes Boat Rocker’s DeLaney. “Co-productions increasingly involve multiple partners—producers, commissioners, distributors and even brands—often across several territories.”

“Funding models are becoming increasingly hybrid and performance driven,” says Ánima’s Aldasoro. “Advances, when available, are smaller and more selective and are often linked to clear metrics and proven traction.

This shift is pushing producers to build smarter financial structures that combine co-productions, public funding and tax incentives.”

Pétry acknowledges the advantage of being part of the European framework and having access to the Creative Europe model. “It continues to help us create connections between production studios across countries, both large and small. In the current climate of global economic uncertainty, this is a haven— one we hope will continue to support our creative ambition and sustain our culture against the broader media turmoil.”

While markets like MIP LONDON remain important for making in-person connections, Serious Kids’ Dexter hopes to “see the return of territory visits” to forge stronger bonds and strengthen cross-border collaboration. “We always used to go visit one another in each other’s countries,” she remarks. “That does increase understanding between cultures. You’ll never forget the time you went

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to go and see SVT in Stockholm or TVO in Ontario. You never forget it, and neither do your clients.”

THE ENGAGEMENT GAME While funding and discoverability are major parts of an IP’s life cycle, another important step is finding ways to engage with kids outside of the main content, through gaming, toys, publishing and live events.

“For us, this comes back to [the importance of] building and managing an ecosystem around each piece of IP,” says Boat Dandelooo handles worldwide distribution Rocker’s DeLaney. for the film My Life in Versailles.

Aldasoro notes that Ánima is working on consolidating its “brands beyond audiovisual content, expanding into consumer products and other touchpoints that reinforce long-term engagement.”

Hecht mentions that pocket.watch is exploring more opportunities for live events, a growing category in L&M strategies.

“Live experiences are incredibly important,” DeLaney says. “They give fans a personal connection to a brand while creating organic marketing and PR moments.” Boat Rocker’s The Next Step is going on tour this year, visiting Australia, Canada and the U.K. The company has also partnered with Pineapple Dance Studios for dance-based workshops tied to the choreography of the tour.

Ultimately, it is imperative to stay nimble with your strategy for engaging with kids. While YouTube and other online platforms like Roblox have been a boon for the discoverability (and engagement) conundrum, “with increased regulatory focus on age-appropriate protections and platform accountability, changes could significantly affect how kids discover, interact with and engage with content and brands,” DeLaney cautions. “This will likely influence everything from creative strategies to monetization.”

But companies have weathered this storm before. The last few years have been difficult, but if there is any lesson to be learned, it’s that flexibility is possible. “The industry has always faced challenges, and we’ve always adapted,” DeLaney says. “Often, those challenges push us to be more creative and thoughtful.”

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UP NEXT There are plenty of new directions the industry may go this year. One new trend “is going to be more closely examining the role of AI in our lives and see where we feel it can be demonstrably productive in the field of distribution,” notes Serious Kids’ Dexter.

Hecht notes that pocket.watch has already “embraced AI through proprietary tools that help us analyze themes and engagement across thousands of hours of content, as well as AI-enabled animation workflows that allow our best-in-the-business artists to bring their creative vision to life faster and more efficiently.” He predicts that “AI will play an increasingly important role, not as a replacement for creativity but as a powerful accelerator.”

Dandelooo’s Pétry notes the “growing emergence and importance of ‘sound.’ For example, we are seeing more radio stations dedicated to kids and a rise in podcasts. Some people are realizing that screens are overwhelming and erasing their children’s imagination. They are now turning toward the ‘open your ears, dear,’ approach.”

With the constant introduction of new technology, AI rapidly becoming more advanced and kids continuously finding and turning to new forms of media platforms, there is plenty of opportunity for growth and expansion in 2026.

“From all the way back in my early years in this industry, I’ve always heard the negativity—people thinking that our business would collapse within five years and joking that we should start thinking about a new career and maybe go and raise sheep,” Pétry says. “The fact that we stayed optimistic despite the bad news helped us survive and keep our head above water during the hardest years.”

“What excites me most is how much opportunity still exists,” adds Hecht.

“The talent we are partnering with and the incredible ability to entertain, inform and communicate with audiences is expanding, not contracting. And so kids’ entertainment is evolving, not disappearing.”

At the end of the day, “kids’ content really matters—it shapes how young audiences see the world and helps build empathy, confidence, creativity and understanding,” DeLaney says. “The industry’s ability to adapt, collaborate and keep that sense of play alive is what makes it such a rewarding space. It’s also filled with incredibly passionate, creative people who genuinely care about delighting young audiences, and I’m excited to continue working alongside friends and partners as we navin gate this next phase together.”

Disney Jr.’s SuperKitties.

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DISNEY MAGIC

By Jamie Stalcup

D

isney Jr., the global preschool brand for The Walt Disney Company, introduces the magic of Disney through characters and stories based on known legacy IP like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse to brand-new original series such as SuperKitties. On Disney+ and everywhere preschoolers watch, Disney Jr. aims to deliver joy and age-appropriate storytelling filled with tons of magic, music, adventure and heart.

“Disney Jr. is where lifelong relationships with Disney begin,” notes Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television. “When we earn a family’s trust at the preschool stage, we’re not just launching shows—we’re starting a journey that grows with a child from their earliest years through every phase that follows. That continuity, from preschool to kids, tweens, teens and beyond, is a defining strength of Disney’s kids’ portfolio and a big reason our stories stay relevant, meaningful and deeply connected across generations.”

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This dedication to serving relevant and meaningful storytelling is paying off. According to Nielsen, in 2025, Disney Jr. owned three of the top five preschool streaming series: Bluey, Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Bluey, in fact, was 2025’s number one moststreamed program in the U.S. for the second year in a row. Since launching in 2011, Disney Jr. has also powered five billion-dollar retail brands—Disney Jr. Mickey, Disney Jr. Minnie, Sofia the First, Doc McStuffins and Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends, with over $20 billion in global retail sales.

Disney Jr. plans to continue serving up new content and experiences for the youngest viewers. “We can’t wait to continue Sofia’s royal journey with Sofia the First: Royal Mickey Mouse Clubhouse was the fifth Magic premiering on Disney+ this most-streamed preschool series in 2025. summer, as well as some other fun surprises that we haven’t announced yet,” says Alyssa Sapire, head of original programming and strategy for Disney Jr. “And we’re not putting the brakes on there—next year brings Cars: Lightning Racers, following Lightning McQueen and Mater on new adventures in Radiator Springs, as well as Marvel’s Avengers: Mightiest Friends, the first-ever preschool Avengers series.”

And the connection with kids and their families doesn’t stop there, Sapire adds. “Whether it’s playing along as their favorite Disney Jr. characters with toys and costumes, visiting a Disney Park and seeing them ‘in real life’ or reading a book, we love meeting kids where their imaginations live and sparking that playful spirit.”