Already popular among teenagers, YouTube is releasing a new app for children.
The app from Google online video service will run on smartphones and tablets and is expected to feature original episodes of popular television shows for preschoolers, including ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ and ‘Sesame Street,’ as well as content from the kid-safe channels already featured on YouTube, according to the sources.
A screenshot of the app released Thursday showed those two titles as well as Reading Rainbow, Mother Goose Club, and others.
The app, called YouTube Kids, is expected to be free and will be separate from the mainstream YouTube mobile app. It will feature kid-friendly design, with big, bulbous icons and minimal scrolling.
The app is said to include features for parents as well, such as a timer they can use to limit how much video children are able to watch.
One potential disappointment for parents and children is that the app won’t be available, at least initially, for Apple iPad. At launch, it will be available only for devices running Google’s Android mobile operating system.
The company is planning to announce the new app on Monday, when YouTube executive Malik Ducard is scheduled to give the keynote address at Kidscreen Summit, a conference for the children’s entertainment industry.
A Google spokesman confirmed the app is being released Monday.
In launching an app aimed at children, Google will have had to comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which is overseen by the Federal Trade Commission. Among other COPPA rules, websites that cater to children must notify parents if they collect personal information.
It is unclear whether or how the new app will generate money for YouTube. That means it is also unclear how content partners will make money, though YouTube is believed to be paying to produce original shows that are expected to be included, the person said.
The possibility of generating revenue by displaying ads in the app was said to be under discussion. In that case, Google likely would find plenty of advertisers looking to buy spots.
Darcy Bowe, vice president and media director at Starcom, an advertising agency, said her clients are often frustrated by lack of digital advertising venues geared for children. Instead, they often pump money into TV ads. To date, YouTube has been off limits, as the site is geared for people age 13 and over, she said.
When asked about the idea of advertising on a kid-safe YouTube app, Ms. Bowe said “absolutely we’d be interested. Everyone would love that.â€
YouTube’s plan for a child-friendly service was reported earlier by technology news service The Information.
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