Family Time Means Movie Time, And We’re Here For It

By Rebecca Blumberg, SVP, Sales, Nickelodeon Kids & Family

As many parents can relate, my kids are everywhere – soccer, lacrosse and football practice, tutoring, sleepovers with friends – and I have to figure out how to get them there. When it comes to consuming media, how and where they use their devices is equally as chaotic – on the phone in the car, on laptops in their room, on a tablet in the kitchen.

As a marketer, my job is to educate brands on how to reach kids across this fragmented landscape. And as a parent, understanding what my kids are consuming and where matters even more.

In today’s media landscape, where are the safe spaces for brands and kids to connect? We know kids spend lots of time on YouTube, but the volume of content and creators makes it impossible to guarantee their safety. And with young kids descending into the doom scrolling abyss, the Surgeon General has gone so far as to issue a warning about social media’s impact on kids’ mental health.

So, what’s a marketer – and frankly, a parent – to do?

Well, the answer is right in your living room. While kids are consuming small bites of YouTube and TikTok on their own devices, they are also spending significant time on the couch watching and streaming TV with their parents.

Research tells us families are craving co-entertainment experiences now more than ever. Coming out of the pandemic, the sense of closeness and the flexibility of a hybrid work schedule has allowed many parents – myself included – to prioritize family time, as seen by the 13% increase in co-viewing since 2020.

This is good news for advertisers. Nickelodeon’s research has shown that when families watch together, kids and adults are more attentive, and a majority of kids are more likely to request – and a majority of parents are more likely to buy – brands that are advertised while co-viewing.

I’ve seen this in my own house. My sons and I were watching NFL Slimetime where they begged for NERF Blasters and, sure enough, who was on Amazon ordering a few for the upcoming vacation? This mom!

In fact, kids influence nine out of 10 household purchases, from what the family eats, to where they shop, to what car they buy, to where they go on vacation.

One of the biggest drivers of co-viewing and engagement is movies.

Nickelodeon is leaning into movies through our most popular franchises, which provide multi-generational appeal and built-in brand safety.

Whether it's our favorite first responders in PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie –which debuted at #1 at the box office – or Monster High: The Movie – premiering on Paramount+ and Nickelodeon on October 5 – nothing creates excitement in the marketplace like a movie can.

And as we're witnessing with the release of blockbuster tentpoles like?Barbie?and?Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (hitting theaters today!), movies are powerful outlets for marketers to reach extraordinarily engaged audiences.

We can all agree that entertainment platforms that negatively impact our kids are not the ideal solution. Investing in premium and brand-safe movies and franchises is more beneficial for marketers and parents alike.

So when the next movie comes out, I know I'll be watching – with my kids.