Let’s face it: Video content for kids is a big business, with video distributors like Netflix and Amazon seeking to get the next generation of viewers hooked on their services. Mobile entertainment company Movile is getting in on the action as well, with a kid-focused video app called PlayKids TV.
Movile has had a long history of licensing and distributing content for mobile devices in Latin America, but for the most part that meant getting text and video onto phones that weren’t exactly smart. Nowadays, not only is Movile working to make apps for smartphones and tablets, but it’s also targeting a global market rather than just its native Latin American market.
PlayKids fits that initiative perfectly, as it is available to anyone who has kids — or, well, anyone who loves kids’ content. The app is built for tablets, and for kids’ interactions with them. When you open the app, you’re introduced to a train, with a series of cars and characters riding in each one. Each character represents a different program, and when selected, they take the viewer into the car for a peek into the different videos available to them.
Interestingly enough, videos are downloaded, not streamed. That’s because kids, as we all know, love to watch the same things over and over and over and over and over again. Rather than having that content using up precious mobile data bandwidth, or streaming over a Wi-Fi connection, children just download an episode once, and they can access it whenever — even if they don’t have a data connection.
While it’s free to download, the PlayKids app does have a revenue plan. Kids can watch one episode from each character, basically as much as they want. But if they want to see more, the family has to be subscribed to the service. In doing so, it’s hoping to get parents to sign up for a monthly subscription, which will give their kids access to multiple episodes from each series or character.
Currently there are five train wagons/characters/series available for kids, but Movile is looking to add more content over time. It’s working with international content partners currently to license kids’ videos, targeting the under-5 set. It also plans to rotate different characters and shows through the app, so that the content is always kept new and fresh.