In a landscape where children’s consumption habits are rapidly migrating to the digital environment, Sveriges Television (SVT), Sweden’s public broadcaster, maintains its strategy focused on quality, inclusion, and the development of original and acquired content that aligns with the country’s educational and cultural values. Helena Nylander, acquisitions executive for the broadcaster’s children’s unit, explained this to Prensario during her participation in the Premios Quirino 2025.
Nylander detailed that 50% of SVT‘s children’s content is produced in-house, while the rest is acquired in the form of animations and live-action series, especially for preschool audiences and children aged 6 to 8. ‘We are always looking for good content, especially for the little ones. We also need well-written adventures for older children, as competing with gaming in that age range is increasingly difficult’, she explained.
The executive emphasized that SVT seeks a combination of major IPs and independent productions, always prioritizing narrative quality and the appropriateness of the values represented. ‘We can spend hours discussing whether a character should or should not pretend a banana is a gun. That’s the attention to detail we have. It’s not all about the brand name: the most important thing is whether we want children to see that content’.
Among the recent titles that have been well-received on the channel, she highlighted Mystery Lane and Simon, both French productions, as well as Bluey, a successful example from a smaller studio.
Regarding themes, Nylander stressed the importance of offering gender and personality diversity. ‘We want pink girls, but also strong girls. And shy boys, not just superheroes. We are committed to representing every possible nuance of childhood’.
Although SVT does not engage in international animation co-productions due to budgetary limitations and the scale of the local market, it does participate through early acquisitions in projects it deems suitable. ‘We can get in from early stages if the project has potential’, she commented.
In terms of distribution, the channel operates two digital platforms: SVT Play (generalist) and SVT Barn (exclusive for children). The executive was clear in stating that linear TV is no longer the focus: ‘For five or six years now, we have been completely focused on the online environment. We no longer talk about time slots; we only analyze digital performance’.
Regarding its positioning against global giants like Netflix or Disney+, the delegate highlighted the differentiating factor of being a public broadcaster: ‘France TV, DR, ZDF, and we are still highly valued by parents. We carefully choose every piece of content and have constant editorial discussions about what children watch. That public trust is our greatest strength’.Finally, Nylander invited interested producers to submit proposals at key markets such as Annecy, Cartoon Forum, or Ventana Sur. Although SVT does not co-produce, it does evaluate content ready for acquisition or pre-sale. ‘We are always willing to talk, but it’s crucial to have a script, bible, and test material. We take every decision very seriously’. she concluded.
