In this episode we discuss the evolving regulatorary landscape around kids content on YouTube and social media. The wild west era of children's content on YouTube appears to be coming to an end. As countries worldwide move toward stricter social media regulations—France announcing September 2026 enforcement, Virginia implementing new protections—YouTube's AI-powered content moderation is creating uncertainty for creators in the kids' space.

The Regulatory Shift: After years of minimal oversight, 2026 looks set to bring significant changes to how children's content is managed online. Multiple jurisdictions are finally catching up to long-standing concerns about kids and social media.

YouTube's Opaque AI System: YouTube's AI now determines whether content is "suitable" for young audiences, but the decision-making process remains unclear. Creators face potential demonetization or restricted reach without understanding the benchmarks, making commercial viability increasingly risky.

The "Social-Only" Gamble: Creators who went all-in on YouTube as their sole platform now face a precarious position. Diversification across multiple platforms—once considered smart strategy—is becoming essential again as the regulatory landscape shifts.

BBC's Opportunity: As YouTube becomes a financially high-risk space for quality kids content, publicly funded broadcasters like the BBC have a chance to prove their value. Charter renewal debates may gain new context when commercial platforms struggle to sustainably serve young audiences.

Content Duration Concerns: The rise of ultra-short-form content raises questions about optimal viewing lengths for developing brains. Even tech founders are reportedly limiting their own children's screen time—yet clear benchmarks remain elusive.

Bottom Line: The permissive era of creators freely making kids' content on YouTube is closing. Welcome to the new regulated reality.

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:

1. Building resilience as a content creator in 2026
2. The importance of self-advocacy for aspiring creators
3. Breaking through in a competitive creative environment
4. Practical advice from writers, producers, and industry professionals

This year-end episode we highlight key takeaways from guests who opened up about the realities of working in kids media in 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.

Emily 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.

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 through
• Live-action Moana - Big winner, demonstrating the power of established IP

The 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.

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.

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.

"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

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