Netflix doubled down on gaming efforts, releasing a new app called Netflix Playground that includes games based on children’s characters such as Peppa Pig and Sesame Street.
While Netflix’s gaming efforts are still in the early stages, analysts say the company does not yet have enough blockbuster IP to drive growth. It also has a more limited portfolio of household name IP than competitors like Warner Bros Discovery, which owns franchises like DC Comics.
Other top games include Rockstar Games’ “GTA: San Andreas” and those based on Netflix’s own hit shows, such as “Squid Game: Unleashed.” The streaming giant said the new features are intended to be a “curated space where parents know kids are entertained, engaged and enriched.”
The move is also an effort to deepen engagement with families, a segment where kids’ content has historically been a good churn-reducer because parents are less likely to cancel.
Senior analyst Ross Benes at Emarketer said, “Sticking to kids programs will make Netflix stickier for households with kids.”
“The new app will help Netflix compete in the one area where it has a deficiency compared to Disney+, which is children’s programming,” he added.
The new app is designed for children eight years old and younger and is included in all levels of Netflix membership. Each game will be playable offline, including “Playtime With Peppa Pig”, “Dr. Seuss’s Horton!” and “Sesame Street.”
The platform guarantees no advertisements, in-app purchases, or additional costs beyond parental controls.
You can download “Netflix Playground” in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, the Philippines, and New Zealand. By the end of this month, the company will go global.
Meanwhile, in other news, Amazon and the US Postal Service reached a new package-handling agreement after Amazon threatened to drastically cut back on the number of packages it sends through the struggling agency.