Sky is making a kids’ video app for tablets
The broadcaster is teaming up with indie game developer ustwo to create a video service aimed at children
Kids’ TV is big business these days. YouTube recently launched a mobile app designed specifically for children, while Netflix has long offered a kids’ section of its own app. And Sky looks like the next big company to embrace the trend.
The broadcaster is currently developing a tablet app aimed at four to nine year-olds, with an early 2016 release date in mind. The app will allow children to watch a selection of shows from Sky and partners like The Cartoon Network, Disney and Nickelodeon, and will feature a host of parental control options allowing certain content to be restricted and time limits to be set.
Interestingly, the app is being developed in partnership with ustwo, the British game development studio responsible for Monument Valley – a wonderful, simple and highly successful mobile puzzle game that we absolutely loved. What this partnership means remains to be seen, but it’s likely we’ll see some of the game’s unique sense of style – or at least something equally unique – in the app’s look.
Sky has recently updated its EPG to include a kids’ section, is in the process of recruiting a head of kids’ content, and will be raising the number of on-demand kids’ show episodes from 700 to 4,000. It’s clearly decided that the children are the future.
[Source: The Guardian]
Sam Kieldsen
Contributor 
