Listen Live
Donate
 on air
Schedule

KCRW

Read & Explore

  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Culture
  • Events

Listen

  • Live Radio
  • Music
  • Podcasts
  • Full Schedule

Information

  • About
  • Careers
  • Help / FAQ
  • Newsletters
  • Contact

Support

  • Become a Member
  • Become a VIP
  • Ways to Give
  • Shop
  • Member Perks

Become a Member

Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

DonateGive Monthly

Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
Cookie Policy
|FCC Public Files

Back to Hollywood Breakdown

Hollywood Breakdown

Netflix, HBO Max and Apple seek out kids’ programming to hang on to subscribers

Streaming services are constantly looking for ways to fight churn, which is when viewers sign up for a service and then drop it after they’ve watched a particular show.

  • rss
Download MP3
  • Share
KCRW placeholderBy Matthew Belloni • Feb 19, 2021 • 4m Listen

Streaming services are constantly looking for ways to fight churn, which is when viewers sign up for a service and then drop it after they’ve watched a particular show. Kids’ shows and movies seem to be the most churn-proof content, so streamers are making big investments in that department.

Disney+ has the deepest library of childrens’ programming, and as such, the streamer sees relatively little churn because they have the movies kids want to watch over and over. In an effort to compete, HBO Max has been hyping its content with Cartoon Network and earlier made a huge deal with “Sesame Street.”

Netflix is also making huge investments in content for kids, including an animated musical based on a book by Lupita Nyong’o. David Ellison’s company Skydance Animation left Paramount and

David Ellison’s company Skydance Animation left Paramount and signed a big deal with Apple this week that reunites John Lasseter with the birthplace of Pixar. Lasseter co-founded Pixar with Apple’s Steve Jobs, and the company was later bought by Disney. Lasseter took over all of animation at Disney, but left the company after allegations of misconduct, and quickly found a new home at Skydance. Emma Thompson dropped out of doing a voice for the Skydance Animation movie “Luck” because of Lasseter coming on board. That film is still in the works and will be part of the deal with Apple.

  • KCRW placeholder

    Matthew Belloni

    founding partner of Puck News

  • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

    Kim Masters

    partner/writer at Puck News, host of KCRW's “The Business.”

  • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

    Kaitlin Parker

    Producer, 'The Business' and 'Hollywood Breakdown'

    NewsCultureEntertainmentArtsBusiness & Economy
Back to Hollywood Breakdown