“We felt like it was time to grow up, expand our audience and embrace the family for longer.” This according to Deirdre Brennan, newly minted GM of Universal Kids, the next generation of Sprout whose name change and expanded slate will bow September 9.
The move is a big step forward in the progression since NBCU bought Sprout in 2013, and it will see even deeper integration of the network into both the Frances Berwick-led Lifestyle Networks group and the broader NBC Comcast family, including its film division and theme parks. The net’s content offerings shift from solely preschool to K2-11 also expands implications in the advertising realm.
Universal Kids will continue to program 15 hours of preschool content per day, including the addition of DreamWorks Animation Television series King Julien, but beginning at 6p content will age up to woo older kids and their parents. “The nine and half year old girl or boy is who I have in my mind when I’m thinking about what we have to offer beginning at 6pm,” Brennan tells CynKids. “We want to be able to keep going and offer them more and something different in the kids space.”
Fare for the older demo will be a mix of scripted originals – including at launch Nowhere Boys from NBCU, comedy series Little Lunch from the Australian Children’s Television Foundation, and dance drama The Next Step – and an embrace of unscripted series, beginning with Top Chef Junior, a new version of the popular show on sister net Bravo. Brennan says she’s looking to retool other formats from NBCU and elsewhere; priority categories include food, dance, music and pets. “Unscripted for kids is really a [blank] space. I would also love to explore kids’ desire to know more about the world around them, and bring some experiential shows families can enjoy together.”
The expanded roster is opening new doors for advertisers hungry to present their messaging in a co-viewing environment, Carrie Stimmel, SVP, lifestyle advertising sales at NBCU, tells CynKids. Noting research has shown “when mom or dad is watching with the child, the brand awareness goes up,” Stimmel says auto and CPG are among categories that “make a lot of sense” for Top Chef Junior. “It’s really any brands that want to talk to families.”
Stimmel also notes an elevation in advertisers’ desire for a positive environment to showcase their brand. Sprout’s long-running Kindness Counts campaign has been a draw, she says, and the expanded slate provides even more opportunities. “They are ready to market in a really kind, feel-good way,” she says.
