‘CoComelon’ becomes a mass media juggernaut

Fifty-five years ago, preschoolers were captivated by the TV performance of a fuzzy blue monster, two striped shirt-wearing best friends and a big yellow bird.

Today, in the now-crowded field of children’s media, one big-headed, animated toddler named JJ is running to the top.

Born from YouTube, JJ and his friends in the animated kids’ franchise “CoComelon” represent a new wave of children’s programming. Focused on songs, bright colors and a world with no sharp edges, “CoComelon” has become a children’s media juggernaut, spawning spinoffs, video games, toys, a live tour and a story-time podcast.

Although its multimedia approach has helped expand its audience, it also has raised questions about screen time and what kind of content — if any — very young children should be watching.

Reflecting on the brand’s growth, CoComelon General Manager Patrick Reese said the company is thoughtful about the needs of its young audience and its own legacy in children’s media.

“We very much stand on the shoulders of giants in this space, like ‘Mr. Rogers’ and ‘Sesame Street,’” he said. “If you learn to be kind and open in those early years, if you learn that growth mindset way of thinking, that becomes your behavior for the rest of your life.”

“CoComelon” has taken the lucrative kids media market by storm.

“CoComelon” producer Moonbug Entertainment declined to share financial results for the franchise, but parent company Candle Media said Moonbug was the biggest and most profitable piece of its business.

The market for kids entertainment is “massive,” said Brandon Katz, senior entertainment industry strategist at Parrot Analytics. “It boasts probably the best re-watchability rates of anything in the market.”

The genesis of “CoComelon” dates to 2006, when commercial director Jay Jeon and his wife, a children’s book author, posted their first video to YouTube of a short cartoon played to music — alphabet-related animations that stemmed from videos they made to entertain their sons.

By 2017, the videos had started to center on a toddler named JJ. By 2020, “CoComelon” was the most-watched YouTube channel in the world, with more than 3.5 billion average monthly views.

There is now “CoComelon Lane,” a streaming series on Netflix that follows the adventures of JJ and his friends. In September, Moonbug released a live-action YouTube spin-off called “CoComelon Classroom,” which stars National Teacher of the Year awardee Juliana Urtubey. She teaches lessons about letters, sings songs and interacts with an animated JJ.

The franchise faces stiff competition in the preschool entertainment space from “Bluey,” which has generated 587 million hours of viewing through July, compared to 218 million hours for “CoComelon” and 45 million hours for “CoComelon Lane,” according to Nielsen data.

That disparity could be due to the difference in how “CoComelon” and “Bluey” are perceived, particularly by parents. Adults will readily admit watching “Bluey” with their kids, noting how the family dynamics feel real and relatable. “Cocomelon,” which has about a 50% co-watching rate with adults, is aimed more at younger viewers.

“It’s heartwarming, it’s easy to digest,” said Nancy Jennings, a professor at the University of Cincinnati and director of its Children’s Entertainment and Education Research Lab. “There’s not a lot of dialogue that you have to follow, and with the songs too, a lot of the characteristics of the show are attractive to kids in general.”

There also are concerns about children’s screen time.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that families avoid screen media for children younger than 18 months, and that children ages 2 to 5 should get only an hour of screen time a day. The primary audience for “CoComelon” is kids ages 0 to 4.

Reese said that the company works with educational consultants and that it takes seriously its responsibilities.

“It’s for every family to decide for themselves what their level of comfort is with any activity,” Reese said. “We want to create the best environment and the best tools, and the most entertaining, enriching content that we possibly can. And use us how it makes you happy.”