Youtube, Netflix Are More Loved By U.S. Kids Than Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, And Cartoon Network

Youtube is tops in the annual Brand Love study conducted by market research firm Smarty Pants. The study measures “brand awareness, love, and popularity” among U.S. households with children ages 6-12.

The most recent study was conducted online between May-June 2019 with a total of 16,363 participating children and parents. Here is a look at the top networks and online video services, as well as their ranking among the 350 total brands in the survey, covering 19 categories across entertainment, food, toys, gaming, and apparel:

Some takeaways:

• Youtube wasn’t just the no. 1 network/video brand; it was the no. 1 brand in the entire survey, across every category.
• Ninety-seven percent of children said that they either “love” (77%) or “like” (20%) Youtube.
• Ninety-two percent of kids use Youtube, making it the most widely-used brand by children. Seventy-eight percent of kids use Youtube at least once a day.
• Netflix is the second-most loved kids’ network/SVOD service. Boys in particular are embracing the brand: 72% of boys ages 9-12 responded that they “love” Netflix, up from 64% of that segment last year.
• Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and Cartoon Network registered with high awareness among kids, but “love” for their brands is declining. Although among kids’ networks/streaming services they were ranked 3, 4, and 8 respectively, among the 350 overall brands, they were ranked 34, 47, and 72. The diminishing popularity of these networks correlates broadly with their declining ratings in recent years.
• The survey also recorded declining interest in other cable channels: Nicktoons, Disney XD, PBS Kids, Boomerang, and Discovery Family. The only cable outlet that bucked the trend and increased its popularity with kids was Disney’s Freeform (formerly ABC Family).
• Disney’s upcoming streaming service, Disney+, already has kids excited. It is the sixth-most loved network/SVOD service among kids, even though it hasn’t even launched yet. Eighty percent of kids say they will “definitely” or “probably” use Disney+ in the next year.

Here’s a look at the survey’s top 50 most-liked U.S. kids’ brands across all categories:

Here’s a look at the top 50 brands among parents of U.S. kids aged 6-12: