CoComelon is one of the most popular shows on streaming platforms. Let's take a deep dive into this young children's show to learn its untold truth.
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00:00Cocomelon is one of the most popular shows across any streaming platform. It's been around
00:05for quite some time and continues to draw in viewers. Let's take a deep dive into this
00:10young children's show to learn its untold truth.
00:14Watching Cocomelon today, you might notice just how fun, colorful, and modern it looks.
00:19But this was not always the case, and in fact, the concept behind Cocomelon was actually
00:24first developed back in 2006. The series came about from a California couple looking to
00:28entertain their own children. They created animated videos for their sons and posted
00:33their first video to the internet in 2006. After seeing how much their own kids liked
00:37them, Jay Geon, one of the creators, said that he and his wife, a book illustrator,
00:42were inspired by their kids' positive reaction to the stories and animation, which gave them
00:47confidence to create more. It may have started out as a private hobby, but it wasn't long
00:51before it became something much more.
00:54Though Cocomelon has been around for quite some time, the series really took off in more
00:58recent years. The entertainment brand knows its audience, and it has evolved over time
01:03to better suit it. Specifically, after the creative minds behind Cocomelon made some
01:07pretty intense adjustments to the show and online brand, they were rewarded by YouTube's
01:12algorithm, which directed more viewers than ever to the show. For example, Cocomelon initially
01:18started out as ABC Kid TV. The creators eventually changed the name to Cocomelon because they
01:23thought the name would be more universally appealing.
01:26Turns out they were right. That change, along with replacing the show's original animation
01:31style with 3D animation, really sent Cocomelon soaring in popularity. Once the creators found
01:37that magic recipe, Cocomelon found its sweet spot.
01:41If you thought that a kids' show like Cocomelon couldn't compete with other shows in terms
01:45of popularity, then you'd be wrong. To say that Cocomelon is super popular would be an
01:50understatement. The children's entertainment brand has been dominating streaming platforms
01:55for a while now, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Cocomelon actually
02:00surpassed 100 million YouTube subscribers in December 2020, putting it in the top three
02:06of any YouTube channel. Additionally, Cocomelon also passed 100 billion — billion, with
02:12a B! — lifetime views on YouTube, putting it into second place all time.
02:17And that's not all. On Netflix, Cocomelon spent over 100 days in a row on the Top 10
02:22It might not be your idea of a good time, but all the kids who watch the show definitely
02:26keep coming back for more, making it a certified hit.
02:30Sure, Cocomelon is mostly just animated toddlers singing nursery rhymes while the adults in
02:36their life are way too happy to join in with them. But kids love it, and that's what makes
02:40the show a success. And as we all know, lots of viewers equals lots of cash.
02:45The Wall Street Journal reported that Cocomelon brings in about $120 million per year. But
02:50that's not all. The global entertainment company Moonbug crowdsourced over $250 million
02:57to purchase children's channels and spent a massive amount — the full cost which hasn't
03:01yet been revealed — to acquire Cocomelon.
03:04Safe to say, the show is a huge moneymaker. To think, it all started with two parents
03:09just trying to make their kids happy.
03:12While most of Cocomelon centers around kids just living their everyday lives, the show
03:16does tackle some serious topics. Well, sorta. While Cocomelon isn't exactly highbrow entertainment,
03:23it can get pretty real.
03:25Let's plant our seeds!
03:28Co-creator Jay Geon explained that, while Cocomelon tries to be fun and engaging for
03:33children, the show's creators also try to stay relevant with the topics they present.
03:38The show tries to live up to its tagline, be happy and smart.
03:42When the COVID-19 pandemic started dominating conversation, Cocomelon addressed many topics
03:47that were tied to it, like how to best wash your hands and how you can have fun without
03:51leaving the house.
03:54Like anything that's popular, Cocomelon has more than a few haters. Sure, it's a kids'
03:59show, but not every child is going to enjoy it, and certainly not every adult will, either.
04:04In fact, Cocomelon and all its viewers got so many people talking that even Swedish YouTuber
04:09Felix PewDiePie Kjellberg was inspired by it, but not exactly in a good way. PewDiePie
04:15actually performed a diss track targeting the show that was eventually banned by YouTube.
04:20Being simply vulgar isn't usually enough to get a video banned, but PewDiePie's track
04:24was taken off the platform because it was encouraging abusive behavior.
04:29With all the successes that Cocomelon has enjoyed, it makes sense that the brand would
04:32expand to include things other than just episodes and clips online. So if you have a child or
04:38someone you know who loves Cocomelon, you should probably be aware that you can buy
04:42Cocomelon toys at several retailers, including places like Target and Amazon. In fact, a
04:48Cocomelon plush was actually the most searched for toy online during the 2020 holiday season.
04:54Cocomelon toys have been so popular that people were reselling them on eBay with outrageous
04:59markups. After all, what toddler wouldn't love to hold a toy from their favorite show
05:03while watching their favorite show? It's not rocket science that kids love toys, and Cocomelon
05:08has merely capitalized on that.
05:11As discussed earlier, Cocomelon got its start when a husband and wife duo decided to work
05:16together to bring their sons some joy. And even as Cocomelon turned into something much
05:21larger than they could have ever imagined, the people behind the brand didn't want any
05:25of the fame that tends to come with that sort of success. In fact, Cocomelon creators J.
05:31Gian and his wife have laid pretty low despite their huge success. Gian's wife even stays
05:36anonymous despite her involvement in a multi-million dollar business. And there's a reason for
05:41that. Speaking with The Independent, Gian said,
05:44"...we prefer to let the content we create speak for itself. The most important thing
05:48for us has always been making videos, stories, and characters that resonate strongly with
05:53our audiences. It's not about us, it's about serving them."
05:57You might not think that tiny little babies could ever really enjoy watching a television
06:02show, but they really do seem to be drawn to Cocomelon. Turns out, there's a reason
06:06why they're drawn to this specific show. Psychologists have described Cocomelon as a multi-sensory
06:11experience that is able to transfix babies on several levels. The bright colors and focus
06:17on faces and large eyes give them anchor points, and the repetitive sounds alongside constant
06:22movement keep their attention focused.
06:25So if you've never let your baby watch Cocomelon, you might just give it a try. They could end
06:29up loving it, and you could end up getting a good laugh out of watching their reaction
06:33to it.