Netflix debuts Playground gaming app for kids
Netflix has launched an app called “Netflix Playground” that will feature games built around popular children’s characters such as Peppa Pig and Sesame Street.
Analysts say the streaming giant’s gaming efforts have yet to emerge as a major growth driver.
Analysts believe one of the main challenges is Netflix’s relatively limited portfolio of iconic intellectual properties compared to rivals such as Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns franchises such as DC Comics.
Some of Netflix’s most popular games include games based on its own hit shows, like Rockstar Games’ GTA: San Andreas and Squid Game: Unleashed.
The streaming giant said the new features aim to be “a private space where parents know kids are having fun, interacting and being enriched.”
The movement also aims to deepen interaction with families; In this segment, children’s content traditionally helps reduce churn as parents are less likely to cancel.
“Emphasizing kids’ programming will make Netflix more sticky for families with children,” said Emarketer senior analyst Ross Benes.
The new app, he added, will help Netflix “compete in the one area where it lacks compared to Disney+: children’s programming.”
The new app is designed for kids ages eight and under and is included with all levels of Netflix membership.
Every game will be playable offline, including Playtime With Peppa Pig and Dr Seuss’s Horton! and Sesame Street.
In addition to parental controls, the platform ensures there are no ads, in-app purchases or extra fees.
Netflix Playground is available for download in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Philippines and New Zealand.
The company will launch worldwide towards the end of this month.
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