Nickelodeon Rides With ‘Kid Cowboy,’ Its First Original Animated Series for YouTube (Exclusive)

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Nickelodeon has garnered a massive fanbase on YouTube, with over 50 channels dedicated to various shows like SpongeBob SquarePants and Paw Patrol. So far, they haven’t introduced any new animated series on this platform. However, that changes now.

On a Friday, Nick premiered “Kid Cowboy”, a program designed for preschoolers. This show features the main character, Kid Cowboy, and his pal Luna, who patrol and defend justice in the future city of Esperanza, with assistance from their robotic steeds. The series was created by Grammy-nominated musician Freddy Wexler, who also serves as an executive producer alongside multiple Grammy winner Emilio Estefan; they are additionally responsible for the show’s music composition.

Johnny the Space Wrangler” is an innovative playground filled with soaring robot horses, captivating tunes, and a diverse and vibrant cast of children, mirroring the excitement of their own adventures. According to Wexler’s statement, moving the premiere to YouTube symbolizes a strategic shift to cater to viewers on digital-centric platforms. This move also sets a fresh standard for how franchises emerge in today’s streaming and brief content-driven world. “Johnny the Space Wrangler” is more than just a series; it represents a reinvention of cowboy culture and a new model for how children’s entertainment can adapt to a world dominated by streaming and concise video content.

The character “Kid Cowboy” is set to debut on Nick’s “Blaze and the Monster Machines” YouTube channel. If this proves popular, it could lead to its own dedicated channel, as mentioned by Ashley Kaplan, executive vice president of Nickelodeon Unscripted & Digital Franchise Studio. Originally developed within Nickelodeon’s standard system, “Kid Cowboy” marks the first original animated series for YouTube – a platform Kaplan highlights as the primary viewing destination for children today.

Approximately 90% of children now access YouTube, which reaches around 60-70% more young viewers than Netflix. Each day, they spend roughly 80 minutes engrossed in its content. The impact of YouTube on the most popular intellectual properties is quite evident,” Kaplan stated to The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s likely that YouTube plays the most significant role in how kids discover shows, brands, toys, music, and culture. To his credit, [Paramount co-CEO and Nickelodeon chief Brian Robbins] recognized this back in 2019, which is why he invited me here. Since then, my team and I have been working diligently to expand the largest YouTube network among kids media companies.

As a gamer, I’d say: “This gaming network boasts an impressive lineup of 53 channels, catering to over 200 million subscribers collectively. Videos on these channels are available in numerous languages. The focus here is on categorizing channels based on genre, audience, and intellectual property (IP). It’s all about keeping our top franchises like SpongeBob, Paw Patrol, and Blaze on top, while also leveraging the platform to introduce new IP and build a solid foundation for the future.

Beginning the show “Kid Cowboy” on the Blaze channel (with 6 million subscribers) seems logical since both shows offer interactive adventures designed for their audience, inviting them to work through problems alongside characters. Notably, “Kid Cowboy” includes some Spanish dialogue, similar to Nick’s popular and long-standing “Dora.

From my childhood, I didn’t observe characters similar to myself in Westerns. However, this series breaks that mold,” Estefan stated. “By following the journeys of Kid and Luna, I aspire for children everywhere to find themselves represented on screen, while also grasping essential values such as courage, compassion, and standing firm with their identity. I was overjoyed when Freddy invited me to be a part of this amazing opportunity.

Starting the YouTube series seems logical given the viewing preferences of our intended audience, Kid Cowboy’s demographic. However, Kaplan views YouTube as a starting point rather than the final destination. Later this year, we will release additional YouTube-first series; some are original concepts, while others are based on existing intellectual properties that we still find amazing.

In essence, we aim to achieve more than just creating huge YouTube channels. We’re striving to create the next major kids’ brand,” Kaplan explained. “Our journey begins on YouTube, but it extends far beyond that into longer formats, potentially even movies, and toy lines. I’m thrilled about the possibility of collaborating with our studio, Paramount Pictures, to bring ‘Kid Cowboy’ to life in a full-length story. That’s our ambition.

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2025-01-24 17:55