Sky's kids offer continues to build with more original commissions and new app features
Sky has today announced further developments to enhance its kids offer as it builds on its position as the best entertainment service for children and their parents. Speaking at the Children’s Media Conference in Sheffield later today, Sky’s Head of Kids Content Lucy Murphy will announce there will be even more exclusive kids content for Sky households and new features added to the dedicated Sky Kids app over the coming months.
The new content includes specially created children’s versions of Sky 1’s popular science panel show Duck Quacks Don’t Echo and wildlife documentary series Big Cats, An Amazing Animal Family. Duck Quacks Don’t Echo: Kids from Magnum Media will combine science, amazing facts and wild experiments all wrapped up by Lee Mack’s comic genius. Big Cats, An Amazing Animal Family from Offspring Films, presented by Patrick Aryee will bring world class natural history storytelling to a younger audience. There are also plans for exclusive programming aimed at kids from Sky Sports to drive interest and encourage participation as well as exciting short form content from leading Multi-Channel Networks (MCNs) which will include nursery rhymes and music.
These new commissions will join the previously announced exclusive Sky original series featuring children’s TV legend Morph. Expected by the end of the year, they will sit alongside Sky’s existing selection of over 4,500 episodes of kids’ favourite shows from all the major networks including Nick Jr.’s Paw Patrol, Boomerang’s Scooby Doo, CBeebies’ Octonauts and Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time. The programmes are available on demand via the Kids section on the Sky home page, as well through the NOW TV Kids Pass or through the Sky Kids app.
Since it launched in March, the Sky Kids app has been a big hit with customers with over 13 million episodes of kids favourite shows watched so far. Lucy Murphy will also announce more enhancements to the app including the recently added Sleep Mode setting and in the coming weeks, offline watching. Sleep Mode gives parents the ability to limit viewing time improving the level of control they have over what their children watch and for how long. Furthermore from 24 July, children will able to download their favourite shows to watch over and over again offline.
The app will be available to Sky customers in Germany and Austria shortly and will be rolled out in Italy at the beginning of 2017.
Lucy Murphy, Head of Kids Content, Sky commented: “Sky has always focused on providing great entertainment for the whole family which is why we are continuing to invest in what we offer the youngest members of the household. We’re really excited to be bringing even more original programming to Sky Kids as well as further improving the app. The talented teams at Magnum Media and Offspring Films are creating kids versions of two of Sky 1’s most popular shows, Duck Quack’s Don’t Echo and Big Cats, An Amazing Animal Family. As well as all this great new content, the app will get even better with our new Download function while the Sleep Mode setting will give parents even greater control over their kids viewing.”
Notes to Editors:
Sky Kids is available to download from both Google Play and Apple’s App Store. The app works on 3G/4G and Wi-Fi and is available for customers with the Sky Family or Variety bundle or Sky Q.
Sky announced the development of the app with ustwo in June 2015 as it aimed to build on its position as the best entertainment service for children and their parents. Sky’s commitment saw the expansion of the kids’ shows available in Sky’s on demand library from 700 to 4,500 episodes making Sky home to more episodes of the most-watched kids’ shows than any other provider in the UK and Ireland.
Following the on demand investment, a dedicated kids tile was added to the Sky homepage which opens up a one-stop-shop of all the kids shows and movies available on demand, all kids TV recordings, plus a quick view of what’s on now on linear channels like CBeebies and Nick Jr. Since the kids tile was added in Summer 2015, on demand views have increased five times.
Sky’s Kids service is overseen by Sky’s first dedicated Head of Kids Content, Lucy Murphy.
For further information, please contact:
Sky
Rose Sherer-Clarke
Corporate Communications Executive
Rose Sherer-Clarke@sky.uk
020 7032 1261
Robin Tozer
Senior Corporate Communications Manager
Robin.Tozer@sky.uk
020 7032 4713 / 020 7032 0620
