Research report, "The Connected Family:
Screentime is Bonding Time," commissioned from Savanta, reveals new
insights into the content-viewing and gaming preferences of US
families, suggesting cross-platform integration is key for brands
to engage parents and kids
Click here to download the full
report.
Research Highlights:
- 85% of parents say enjoying video content together is a key
family bonding experience, third only to mealtime and travel
- 9 in 10 parents watch content together with their child on paid
SVOD platforms
- Younger parents see greatest value in family viewing, with 71%
of Gen Z parents and 61% of Millennial parents watching content
with their kids at least once a day
- Three-quarters of parents watch content with kids on YouTube,
AVOD and FAST platforms, with YouTube being twice as popular as the
next closest AVOD
- 62% of Gen Z parents use FAST channels and not Cable TV when
watching video content together with their child, while two-thirds
of Gen Z parents use YouTube and not Cable TV when watching
together
- Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu and Disney+ rank as the top paid
SVOD platforms for family viewing
- Parents trust kids to recommend content, but remain
final-decision makers, with strong preferences for family-friendly
and educational content
- Almost 50% of parents enjoy gaming with their kids on Roblox,
Minecraft or Fortnite
- 84% of parents and kids enjoy engaging with familiar characters
that crossover between gaming and video content watched together,
and vice versa
- 88% of Gen Z and Millennial parents are likely to buy products
or movie tickets seen in a video game played with their kids
- Over 70% of parents have made purchases based on integrated
brands seen when watching video content or gaming with their
kids
TORONTO, March 5,
2025 /PRNewswire/ - WildBrain, a global leader in
kids' and family entertainment, has launched the results of new
research which highlights the evolving content-viewing habits of US
families. The new research, titled "The Connected Family:
Screentime is Bonding Time," was commissioned by WildBrain and
conducted by leading research company Savanta. It explores the
perceptions and preferences of US families around the content they
watch and games they play, as well as the value for families of
watching and gaming together as bonding activities, and how
families recognize and engage with the brands they see.
Bonding around shared experiences
The research, which surveyed approximately 2,100 parents and
children in the US*, points to the shared experience of watching
content with their children as an activity parents value as a key
part of family life. In fact, the research shows that families rate
watching content together to be their third-most important bonding
activity after only mealtime and travelling together, and ahead of
experiences like sports, arts and crafts, theme parks, concerts,
museums, and shopping. Family viewing is especially important to
younger parents, the majority of whom (71% Gen Z and 61%
Millennials) watch content together with their kids at least once a
day, while Gen X parents (49%) appreciate that it provides a
low-effort way to bond with their children. The findings also show
that family viewing goes beyond just having videos play in the
background, with the majority of parents (89%) actively watching
the same screen or device as their children.
Parents also expressed that nostalgia and familiarity are key
drivers in decision making when choosing which content to watch.
Parents enjoy sharing shows and movies from their own childhood
with their kids, creating a sense of continuity and shared family
history. Parents and children also have equal input when it comes
to choosing what to watch, but both understand that parents have
the final say. The data shows that parents look for content that is
age-appropriate, family-friendly, educational, and conducive to the
bonding experience.
Gaming offers more ways for families to connect
In gaming, the research shows that Roblox is the top choice for
families—it provides opportunities for bonding through interactive
play and is entertaining while also offering educational value. It
is also a game that benefits from character familiarity and brand
crossover, leading to stronger affiliation. Roblox is the top
platform for kids (69%), followed by Minecraft (63%), and Fortnite
(55%). Kids aged 9-12 are the most active Roblox players (76% using
the platform), while teens aged 13-15 are the most active users on
Fortnite (65%).
Children aged 6-15 trust YouTube the most to tell them what
video games to play, while YouTube is the primary destination for
watching gaming-based content. More than 70% of children like to
see their favorite video and gaming characters on YouTube.
Cross-platform strategies reach families
The research further shows that brands looking to engage with
parents and kids should adopt cross-platform brand-integration
strategies that contemplate leveraging the reach of YouTube,
gaming, FAST, and AVOD. The data demonstrates great interest among
children in interacting with their favorite characters across new
formats and platforms, be it gaming characters in shows, or vice
versa. In particular, children enjoy dressing their avatars in
character-related costumes or by playing as part of their favorite
characters' teams. This interest also extends to parents, with 8
out of 10 stating they would like to see new platform-character
crossovers. In particular, brand integrations on gaming platforms
are effective in influencing family purchases, especially for
entertainment and food.
This important family time presents key opportunities for brands
to reach parents. The data demonstrates that, in general, parents
and children are comfortable with watching informative or
entertaining brand promotions. The majority of parents (71%) have
made purchases in the past based on brands they have seen when
watching video content or gaming with their child, and two-thirds
of children have asked their parents to buy them a toy or game
after seeing a real-life brand in a video game.
WildBrain's COPPA- and CARU-compliant capabilities
Emma Witkowski, VP Media
Solutions at WildBrain, said: "Building off our research from last
year, it's striking to see in our new research just how important
content-viewing and gaming time have become to families. Screentime
isn't just for babysitting anymore—it has become an important
bonding experience, and parents are just as engaged in what's on
the screen as their kids, presenting a unique opportunity for
brands to engage audiences and generate interest.
"Nostalgia as a key decision-driver for parents speaks directly
to WildBrain's core capabilities. Our expansive presence across
platforms offers COPPA- and CARU-compliant opportunities to reach
parents and engage families. Through our world-leading YouTube
network and our capacity as a dominant player in the kids' and
family FAST space, we position brands alongside broadcast-quality,
premium content featuring well-known properties, such as
Teletubbies, Strawberry Shortcake, and many more.
Additionally, we offer advanced capabilities in brand integrations
on leading gaming platforms.
"Today's families are bonding over content and games, generating
conversations and fandom that build enthusiasm to engage with
brands off screen through products and experiences. Our Media
Solutions team at WildBrain is the ideal partner to help brand
owners develop and implement effective cross-platform integration
strategies to leverage these trends and engage families where they
spend time together."
*Research methodology
Research was conducted by Savanta on behalf of WildBrain to
understand the viewing habits, engagement levels and content
selection processes of US families.
Data collection took place from November 18—28, 2024.
A total of 2,091 participants were recruited across the US,
with the sample being made up of children 2–15 and their
parents.
Parents answered the first half of the survey, with the
children answering the second half. Children aged 9–15 answered by
themselves (with assistance), while children aged 8 and under were
guided by their parents.
Data was weighted to be representative of US parents with
children aged 2—15 by gender and region.
An additional wave of research was conducted December 2—6,
2024 to provide qualitative depth of insight and visual evidence to
add colour to the quantitative findings. For this, Savanta
conducted a five-day online community of 15 US parents with
children living in the household. Follow-up one-on-one interviews
were conducted from December 10—12, 2024 with six select
participants from the online community.
Data set:
https://savanta.com/knowledge-centre/press-and-polls/the-connected-family-screentime-is-bonding-time-wildbrain-5-march-2025/
For more information, please contact:
Aimée Norman at Liberi Consulting, external PR for WildBrain
aimee@libericonsulting.com
+44 (0) 7957 564 050
About WildBrain
At WildBrain we inspire imaginations through the wonder of
storytelling. As a leader in 360° franchise management, we are
experts in content creation, audience engagement and global
licensing, cultivating and growing love for our own and partner
brands around the world. With approximately 14,000 half-hours of
kids' and family content in our library—one of the world's most
extensive—we are home to such treasured franchises as Peanuts,
Teletubbies, Strawberry Shortcake, Yo
Gabba Gabba!, Inspector Gadget and Degrassi. WildBrain's
mission is to create exceptional entertainment experiences that
captivate and delight fans both young and young at heart.
Our studios produce such award-winning series as The
Snoopy Show; Snoopy in Space; Camp Snoopy; Strawberry
Shortcake: Berry in the Big City; Sonic Prime; Chip and
Potato; Teletubbies Let's Go! and many more. Enjoyed in
more than 150 countries on over 500 platforms, our content is
everywhere kids and families view entertainment, including YouTube,
where our network has garnered approximately 1.5 trillion minutes
of watch time. Our television group owns and operates some of
Canada's most loved family
entertainment channels. WildBrain CPLG, our leading
consumer-products and location-based entertainment agency,
represents our owned and partner properties in every major
territory worldwide.
WildBrain is headquartered in Canada with offices worldwide and trades on
the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: WILD). Visit us at
wildbrain.com.
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