From changing view counts and tougher monetisation requirements to the growing importance of content quality, YouTube’s evolving rules are forcing children’s content companies to reconsider how they manage their channels.
At last week’s MIPJUNIOR, a session entitled Platform Changes Decoded, part of The New Kids YouTube Playbook, brought together three executives with extensive experience of operating children’s content on the platform.
Moderated by Caroline Tyre, VP content distribution at Spin Master (pictured), the panel featured Tara Day, MD, platforms at Brainchild Entertainment; Jack Luckett, VP YouTube at WildBrain; and Damián Soriano, VP of content at Spiritum Entertainment.
The discussion offered a series of practical insights for kids’ producers, distributors and rights holders looking to build sustainable YouTube businesses. Here are a few:
1. Content quality is becoming more important than traditional optimisation
For years, successful YouTube channel management has placed considerable emphasis on keywords, titles, thumbnails and other techniques designed to help content appear in searches and recommendations.
Those elements remain important, but YouTube’s increasingly sophisticated systems can now analyse video and audio content directly, making it less dependent on the information supplied by channel operators.
The implication is that producers need to think about discoverability during production, rather than treating it primarily as a publishing exercise.
YouTube’s content quality principles are also becoming increasingly significant. The panel suggested that compliance with these guidelines now plays a greater role in whether children’s content is recommended to viewers.
2. Watch time matters more than headline viewing figures
One of the clearest messages was that channel operators should avoid becoming distracted by impressive-looking view counts.
WildBrain, which operates more than 900 YouTube channels, regards watch time as its most important performance indicator. Its teams track watch-time targets closely, supported by several other measures.
Average view duration is particularly useful because it reveals at what point audiences lose interest. Examining individual videos moment by moment can help identify weaknesses in pacing, storytelling and audience engagement.
Other valuable indicators include device breakdowns, traffic sources and geographical viewing patterns. Together, these provide a more detailed picture of how audiences discover and consume content.
3. Be careful when comparing view counts
Changes to YouTube’s definition of a view have complicated comparisons between current and historical performance.
The panel highlighted the distinction between public-facing view counts and engaged views, which offer a more meaningful indication of whether viewers have actually chosen to watch content.
Following changes to the counting of Shorts views in 2025, the speakers discussed a subsequent extension of first-frame counting to longer-form videos.
This means that apparently dramatic increases in viewing figures may reflect changes in measurement rather than equivalent increases in engagement.
For operators comparing current performance with previous years, engaged views provide a more useful reference point.
The panel also highlighted estimated co-viewing figures as a potentially valuable measure of the true size of children’s audiences, particularly where several family members may be watching together.
4. Subscribers are not necessarily a measure of success
Subscriber totals remain a highly visible feature of YouTube, but the panel questioned their usefulness as a measure of genuine audience engagement.
Shorts can generate large numbers of subscribers relatively quickly, without necessarily producing a corresponding increase in longer-form viewing.
For established operators, the priority is therefore less about accumulating subscribers and more about attracting viewers who return regularly and spend meaningful time with the content.
This also reinforces the importance of examining how different formats contribute to overall channel performance.
5. Monetisation rules are becoming tougher
Changes to YouTube’s Partner Programme were another important talking point.
The panel discussed plans to increase the eligibility thresholds for monetisation, including requirements relating to Shorts performance and longer-form watch time.
The changes were presented as a potential response to the growing volume of low-effort content being uploaded to YouTube, particularly as AI makes production faster and cheaper.
For established producers, stricter entry requirements could help reduce competition from channels created primarily to generate advertising revenue.
However, the panel also identified a possible downside for operators working in smaller language markets. Channels serving relatively limited populations may find it harder to achieve the necessary thresholds, even when their content is professionally produced.
The discussion also made clear that eligibility is assessed on a channel-by-channel basis, rather than automatically extending across an operator’s entire network.
[The new thresholds, which take effect in February 2027, apply to new applicants rather than existing members of the Partner Programme].
6. Review commercial content against YouTube’s quality principles
YouTube’s guidelines for children’s programming place importance on content that encourages curiosity, learning and positive life experiences.
They also discourage confusing storytelling, inappropriate character behaviour and material that is excessively commercial.
The panel emphasised the importance of clear narrative structures, even in relatively short videos. Content should still have a recognisable beginning, middle and end.
For traditional children’s rights holders, this can create challenges when managing extensive libraries that include toy advertising, promotional videos and other commercially oriented material.
The discussion included examples of channels losing monetisation despite containing substantial amounts of otherwise high-quality content.
The practical lesson is that operators need to assess their entire channel offering, rather than assuming the presence of established entertainment brands guarantees compliance.
7. Shorts and longer-form videos should work together
The panel rejected the idea that YouTube success requires a choice between Shorts and longer-form programming.
Shorts can be effective for discovery and subscriber acquisition, while longer videos remain important for generating watch time and developing audience affinity.
Live streaming and other formats can also contribute to channel growth.
The most successful approach is to use different formats in complementary ways, ensuring that they appeal to a consistent audience rather than creating disconnected viewing experiences.
Operators should also recognise that Shorts and longer-form videos are distributed through different recommendation systems, making it important to assess their performance separately.
8. International expansion requires more than translation
For children’s brands seeking global audiences, localisation emerged as another important consideration.
Simply translating an existing programme or song into another language does not guarantee success. Children’s viewing preferences, educational expectations and cultural references can differ substantially between countries.
The panel cited the importance of researching local nursery rhymes, music traditions and family viewing habits before developing content for new markets.
This can involve working with local writers, musicians and other specialists who understand the target audience.
Even the age profile of viewers can vary between territories. Content that primarily attracts toddlers in one market may reach older children and families elsewhere.
Understanding those differences can influence both programming decisions and the way a channel is marketed.
9. Use analytics to refine your content
YouTube provides operators with detailed information about their audiences, and the panel encouraged producers to use those insights systematically.
Regular reviews of audience retention, comments, viewing patterns and other performance indicators can help identify opportunities to improve content.
Soriano explained that Spiritum works with a business intelligence team to analyse performance and review its programming strategy. Monthly meetings provide an opportunity to assess results and make adjustments to future content.
However, the discussion also contained a warning against becoming excessively dependent on data. Audience figures can help explain what is working, but they should inform creative decisions rather than replace them.
The most useful approach combines detailed performance analysis with an understanding of the audience and the creative objectives of the channel.
10. Starting a new channel? Trust your creative instincts
For all the emphasis on analytics, the panel offered a reminder that new YouTube channels face a fundamental challenge: they have no historical performance data to guide their decisions.
Established operators can analyse audience retention, compare formats and identify successful themes. New entrants have to start somewhere, often without knowing which characters, stories or approaches will resonate.
Soriano argued that producers must initially rely on their creative judgement and belief in the content they are making. That means having a clear vision of the intended audience, experimenting with different approaches and accepting that mistakes are an inevitable part of building a channel.
As viewing data accumulates, it becomes possible to refine the strategy. But the starting point remains a creative proposition strong enough to establish a connection with children and their families.
