Kids Media Club Podcast

Kids Club Podcast Year in Review: our standout conversations from 2025

In this special New Year episode of the Kids Club Podcast, we reflect on our favourite Podcast conversations of 2025 and share eight moments that stood out for us from the year.We revisit conversations with industry professionals who share honest insights on being transparent and staying scrappy in tough times.Featured Topics:Building resilience as a content creator in 2026The importance of self-advocacy for aspiring creatorsBreaking through in a competitive creative environmentPractical advice from writers, producers, and industry professionalsThis year-end episode we highlight key takeaways from guests who opened up about the realities of working in kids media in 2025.

🎄 Kids Media Club: Christmas Special 2025

The team dives into Netflix's Christmas movie dominance, shares heartwarming holiday TV traditions from around the world (including Ireland's legendary Late Late Toy Show), and makes bold predictions for 2026's animation landscape. Spoiler: sequels reign supreme, and Australia's social media ban for kids could reshape the creator economy.Episode Breakdown🎅 Netflix's Christmas Movie EmpireEmily kicks things off celebrating Netflix's "pure and lovely" commitment to churning out Christmas content. This year brought Champagne Problems, My Secret Santa, and Jingle Bell High Speed, with classics like Klaus (Jo's favorite from 2018) getting their annual boost.Key insight: Christmas is genius brand strategy—it's an open-source brand everyone can leverage. Andy points out it's smart business too, giving A-list talent a chance to do "something warmer and family-friendly" while earning sweet residuals that come back every year.Cultural gem alert: Emily introduces the Late Late Toy Show, an Irish institution that's been running longer than US late-night shows. Picture kids staying up past midnight to watch toy reviews, celebrity surprises (Roy Keane hassling kids this year!), and wholesome chaos. It's basically a three-hour commercial that somehow works because it's cultural heritage.🎬 2026 Animation Predictions The hosts get into crystal ball mode for next year's releases:Andy's calls:Toy Story 5 - Will dominate (though Emily wonders if Lightyear's underwhelming performance signals franchise fatigue)Hoppers (Pixar's robot-consciousness-transfer story) - Will underperform and struggle to cut throughLive-action Moana - Big winner, demonstrating the power of established IPThe Illumination juggernaut: Super Mario Galaxy movie + Minions 3 dropping in 2026 could net them $2-3 billion at the box office. Emily notes we're firmly in a "sequel world."The dark horse: Disney's Hex (November 2026) about a teenage boy discovering magical powers. Emily thinks there's appetite for well-executed magic content after Spellbound missed the mark.📱 The Creator Economy Shake-Up Emily gets passionate about YouTube kids creators needing to "hold their nerve" on streaming deals. The economics have gotten tougher since YouTube's COPPA restrictions five years ago made it harder for mid-tier creators to sustain careers.The Australia wildcard: The social media ban for under-16s could be a game-changer. While challenging for creators, Emily sees it as "tough medicine" that might force better economic models and push creators toward premium streaming deals. YouTube Kids could become more crucial, and platforms like Discord might benefit unexpectedly.Miss Rachel mention: As an example of intentional content strategy—no shorts, calm and steady vibes, less dopamine-focused approach that resonates with parents.🎤 Wild Cards & Sign-Offs The hosts wrap with a joke about whether the wheels will come off the Kids Media Club podcast itself in 2026 (they won't), and acknowledge it's been "a busy year" with their heads "slightly blown off" by industry moves like Netflix buying Warner Brothers studios.Quotable Moments"Christmas is a brand that nobody owns and everybody can leverage." - Emily on Netflix's strategy"I want 5,000, not a fiver. It's renting the audience I've built." - Jo on creator economics"Sometimes you take the medicine." - Emily on Australia's social media banWhat to Watch in 2026Toy Story 5 vs Hoppers performanceIllumination's potential $2-3B yearCreator economy deals as social restrictions tightenWhether magic-themed family content finds its footing againNext episode: TBD (they're taking a Christmas break!)Perfect for: Animation industry watchers, kids media professionals, anyone curious about streaming strategy, and people who need their yearly dose of Late Late Toy Show content

Kids Media Club: Netflix Buys Warner Bros and What It Means for Kids Media

The Kids Media Club crew tackles the biggest media story in years: Netflix's acquisition of Warner Brothers. Andy and Jo dive deep into what this seismic deal means for streaming, cinema, theme parks, and most importantly—the future of kids' content production. From Harry Potter to DC Comics, and from theatrical releases to original programming, they unpack the winners, losers, and uncertain future facing producers everywhere.Key Takeaways🎯 Why Netflix Wanted Warner BrosUnlocks merchandise and theme parks—two areas Netflix never had access toAdds massive legacy IP including Harry Potter, DC Universe, and Cartoon NetworkCompletes Netflix's transformation from tech company to full-spectrum entertainment studio🎬 Cinema Under ThreatWarner Bros films are tentpoles of the theatrical box officeNetflix's anti-cinema stance could devastate theater chainsTwo-week window releases might become the new normal, worrying directors like James Cameron📺 The Producer's DilemmaOne fewer independent buyer in an already consolidated marketNetflix may focus budget on legacy IP management rather than original programmingCould producers be waiting years for attention to shift back to new shows?🏢 Industry Consolidation AcceleratesParamount's hostile counter-bid adds drama to an already complex situationUK broadcasters (BBC, Channel 4, ITV, Sky) may follow with their own mergersThe era of distinctive brand voices (Cartoon Network vs Nickelodeon vs Disney) may be ending🎪 The Walmart EffectNetflix becomes the "entertainment supermarket"—so big it can't have a distinctive voiceHomogenization risk: will everything start to feel the same?The monopoly question intensifies as the third-biggest streamer disappears⚡ Wild CardsWhat happens to CNN under Netflix ownership?Could this deal actually be blocked on monopoly grounds?Bottom Line: This isn't just a business deal—it's a fundamental reshaping of how entertainment gets made, distributed, and consumed. For kids' content creators, the golden age of multiple competing buyers may be coming to an end.

KMC: special guest Louis Grenier's no punches pulled take on kids media

Episode Summary: Andy, Jo, and Emily are joined by marketeer and 'recovering French man' Louis Grenier to give an outside perspective on kids media. Louis delivers his inimitable no-holds-barred take on the industry—expect sweary spikiness and truth bombs about what's really going on in children's content.Key Discussion Points:Ethical marketing practices in children's contentHow media consumption affects kidsUsing creativity to differentiate in a competitive marketCreating meaningful, responsible content for young audiencesGuest Expert: Louis Grenier shares marketing insights and fresh perspectives on kids' mediaHosts: Emily Horgan, Jo Redfern, and Andy Williams (Kids Media Club podcast)https://www.kidsmediaclubpodcast.com/https://creativelycurious.substack.com/https://thekidsstreamersphere.substack.com/https://joredfern1.substack.com/Louis Grenier’s websitehttps://www.stfo.io/about

Kids Media Club: guest, Louie Stowell on why children’s publishing needs more anarchy

Author Louie Stowell (Loki series) joins the Kids Media Club to make the case for more chaos in children's books. Why do young readers crave mischief? How do illustrated books hook reluctant readers? And what's killing kids' love of reading—spoiler: it's not TikTok.Key Takeaways:Mischievous characters create powerful entry points for emerging readersIllustrations aren't just for "struggling" readers—they're a legitimate storytelling mediumTesting culture is crushing reading joy (and what we can do about it)Give kids real choice in what they read—it matters more than you thinkChildren's publishing needs more risk-taking, diversity, and yes, anarchyhttps://louiestowell.com/https://www.kidsmediaclubpodcast.com/