The first half of 2025 made clear a trend that is consolidating year after year: children’s content not only withstands fierce competition from adult entertainment, but also leads consumption on streaming platforms in the United States.
According to Nielsen, Bluey continues to be the most-watched title in the first half of the year, with more than 25 billion minutes played on Disney+, reaffirming its status as a global phenomenon. The classic SpongeBob SquarePants also remains among the most consumed, reaching 16.6 billion minutes on Paramount+, placing it sixth in the overall ranking. Among children’s originals, Gabby’s Dollhouse (Netflix/Prime Video) stands out with 6.01 billion minutes, positioning itself as the strongest kids’ series in a top 20 dominated by adult productions.
In the film arena, the replay factor once again favored animation. Moana 2 became the most-watched film of the period, with 7.2 billion minutes since its March release on Disney+, followed by Despicable Me 4 on Netflix (6.3 billion). The first Moana, The Wild Robot, Sonic The Hedgehog 2, Wicked and Frozen complete a top 10 dominated by family titles.
The impact of young audiences was also reflected in Nielsen‘s monthly report, The Gauge: in June, streaming accounted for 46% of total TV usage in the US, driven by school holidays. Viewing by children and teenagers aged 6 to 17 grew by 27% compared to May, with Netflix (+32%) and Peacock (+37%) being the big winners.
The conclusion is clear: in a hyper-fragmented market, children’s and family IPs are the ones that guarantee volume, repeat viewing and engagement. Bluey and Moana lead the way, but the message is broader: kid’s content remains one of the strongest drivers of the global SVOD ecosystem.
FF
