A Quick Guide to Set Up an Exclusive OTT Space for Kids

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With the sudden spike in usage of gadgets among children during the pandemic, it has become quite worrisome for parents in regard to what content their kids consume on the Internet. However, kids-specific OTT platforms are changing the scenario for the good. While newer streaming services are exclusively launched keeping kids’ entertainment in mind, several market players like Netflix have already included parental control options to set viewing restrictions. This is apart from the stand-alone “Kids Profile” that includes age-appropriate content curated specifically for children. 

This revolutionary take by OTT platforms on creating a separate space for kids has made parents sigh a breath encouraging more businesses to focus their niche towards creating and broadcasting content such as cartoons, animations, entertainment videos, e-learning modules, and much more for the young buds. 

Tips to Launch a Kid-Friendly OTT Platform

To build a platform with content that is safe, non-violent, and fun all at once is the key mantra for businesses who want to step into the kids’ space. And as far as the global market is concerned, Netflix has stated that around 83 million households consume “kids and family content” on its VOD platform, which is massive and proves that the market for children-specific videos is enormous and will only grow bigger in the coming years. 

• Venture into Edutainment

A number of streaming services have adopted the “learning made fun” concept which is typically what edutainment is all about. With remote learning and flipped classrooms being the new norm, OTT players offering content that is educative yet entertaining will inspire young minds and interest them to stream videos without boredom. This will also encourage parents to let their kids explore puzzles, quizzes, Ebooks, brain-training videos, classic tales, interactive live Q&A sessions, etc, beyond the regularities of cartoons, movies, and animations. 

• Offer Ad-free Experience

Inserting advertisements and commercials onto streaming platforms is a great way to generate revenue. However, when it comes to being kid-friendly, it is advisable for OTT services to keep their content ad-free or only stick to ads that are safe for children to watch. Hence, most businesses adopt the subscription model through which parents can pay a recurring fee on a monthly or annual basis for their kids to use the platform without disruptions and distractions. 

• Implement Parental Controls

Exclusive child-friendly platforms usually don’t require the need for pin protection or any other locks since the entire library is appropriate for the little ones. But, when it comes to a generic streaming platform, parental controls play an important role in restricting access to content that is age inappropriate. Netflix, for instance, had brought in a separate profile section for children along with providing parents with options to lock their profiles with a pin as part of their parental control updates to keep kids from viewing irrelevant content. 

• Integrate a Good Recommendation Engine

Personalized user experience via recommendations not only impresses grown-ups but also keeps kids engaged on your platform to consume quality content. 

Focus on integrating a robust AI-powered recommendation engine that suggests relevant videos based on the child’s viewing habits. This reduces the need for kids to navigate oodles of content before they could find their favorites. 

• Stream Live Content

With the stay-at-home restrictions in place, parents often find it difficult to keep their kids entertained. This has ultimately led to the increase in the popularity of live streams of children-based content by various OTT players. From virtual music classes to art tutorials, zoo tours to aerobics, there are tonnes of concepts being readied to interest little ones with videos that are both interactive and informative. 

• Offline-Viewing Options

Internet-free viewing is a great way to engage kids on your platform especially when your niche is education. This feature paves way for children to play and replay any particular video for any number of times without the need for broadband or wifi. 

• Flexible Access across Devices

Parents these days use a wide range of gadgets and sometimes even invest in separate tech devices for their kids. So, a child-friendly OTT platform should be made available on a multitude of devices including mobiles (Android, iOS), laptops, tablets, and smart TVs. This will help you expand your reach among children beyond geographical boundaries. 

• Partner with Brands 

Several kids’ brands for clothing, accessories, books, games, etc exist in the market. These renowned labels are always on the lookout for channels to market their products and services. Partner with these children’s brands for an elevated income stream. In other words, broadcasting content sponsored by brands is a great way to earn revenue without directly putting across advertisements that would annoy the young viewers. 

Factors to Ensure a Secure OTT Experience for Kids

Since children are the end users in this case, it is vital for streaming services to be highly cautious when it comes to security. 

1	Data Security	Securing kid-friendly videos from outside threats, hacks, and breaches that may lead to modification of original data is of utmost importance to protect children from getting exposed to age-inappropriate content. By implementing proper security protocols, OTT platforms can make sure their content is safe for viewing.
2	Deploy in Cloud	Setting up an IT infrastructure for on-premise best online video hosting platforms might come as risky, expensive, and at times prone to hardware failure. Instead, opt for virtual cloud servers to host your content which reduces the chances of potential physical and virtual access threats from hackers.
3	Password-Protected Profiles	If yours is a generic platform for people of all age groups with a dedicated section for kids, provide an option to lock parent profiles with passwords. This will restrict children from accessing unsuitable content.
4	Two-Step Verification	Password protection followed by a second step of verification via mobile OTP can be imposed on user profiles. So in cases where kids get to know the pin, they can still be restricted access to parental profiles with multi-factor authentication.
5	Sleep-Timer	One of the newest features in the industry, a sleep timer controls the amount of time kids spend watching videos. Once the time slot (15 min, 30 min, 45 min, etc) is set, the OTT platform automatically turns off whatever is playing. Including this option in your streaming service helps parents manage their kids’ screen time efficiently.
6	Watch History	Another pivotal parental control is the option to check watch history. This feature lets parents keep a close watch on what their little ones are streaming on an OTT app.
7	Tailor-Made Content for Kids	Curating content that is solely created for kids is a great way to inspire, educate, and illuminate them, making parents feel more comfortable about letting their children watch videos on your platform. YouTube has recently adopted a new feature where videos and channels tagged under “Made for Kids” will refrain from ads, membership pop-ups, etc.

Building an OTT space for kids is quite a challenge in itself considering how safe and secure it should be for children viewing. But, OTT platform providers like CONTUS VPlayed makes things easier for content owners/ curators in launching a platform that is highly reliable for the younger generation to engage in. That being said, several market players have already taken baby steps to showcase exclusiveness through independent channels and apps for kids. So, this is the right time for you to invest in this particular niche as parents and their little ones are on the lookout for quality learning and entertaining experience while making the best use of their digital mediums.

If You Already Have An Idea About Starting A OTT Kids App, Schedule A Free Demo And We’ll Get You On The Road To OTT Kids App Success!