A look into 2025 with Trustbridge Entertainment's Bob Higgins
Trustbridge Entertainment president Bob Higgins explains why 2025 will see a rising need for kids’ content and attention-grabbing programming.
Bob Higgins
What are the biggest challenges and opportunities for kids’ TV in 2025?
The most obvious challenge is the scaling back of development deals and commissions from platforms and networks on a global basis. As these exhibitors pause and regroup, it’s creating a ripple effect on producers and studios that are cutting back on their development and/or hiring. But this does create opportunity. While exhibitors have enough new content to satisfy their audiences right now, that will most likely not be the case in 12-18 months and they will need compelling new characters and stories to hold the audience share. Producers who are able to move content/production forward during this dry spell will be in a much better negotiating position when the time comes.
What programming trends do you expect to see next year?
The biggest change will have more to do with attention-getting strategy than any groundbreaking creative trend. The audience is so fragmented that new programmes need to build billboards that can launch and live on multiple platforms (TV, YouTube, Instagram, TT, Roblox etc) simultaneously and drive the audience to whatever the desired primary platform is. These won’t just be promos, but compelling content experiences that will hook a viewer and get them to want to explore further.
How will demand for content evolve in 2025?
If I knew that, I’d be rich. What I do know is that there will be some new portal or platform that isn’t really on the radar right now that will provide a unique viewer/player experience and word-of-mouth will make it the next ‘must-be’ location.
How will the economic crisis change commissioning and buying in the kids’ industry next year?
It will continue to be slow well into 2025, but then the pipelines will be running dry and it will be months or years before development and new commissions can catch up to the need, so acquisition of new content will be in demand in late 2025 and 2026.
What impact will AI continue to have on the kids’ sector?
It will certainly help make things go faster. The huge question is will it make things better? I have doubts on the latter and, believe me, the audience will tell us loud and clear if they don’t like it.
What consequences might the continuing growth of YouTube have?
YouTube is forcing any content producer to have a compelling, consistent bespoke experience for viewers, whether or not the ultimate home for the content is YouTube or some other screen or platform. It’s where audiences now discover new (or existing favourite) characters on their own timeframe. Traditional networks are launching shows there before premiering on their own platforms in hopes of building a fanbase and creating anticipation. Even feature films will launch massive YouTube channels with behind-the-scenes, exclusive sneaks a year-plus out from premiere to maximise desire.
How might the rise in popularity of social gaming platforms like Roblox impact or influence the kids’ sector?
Gaming is yet another way to introduce your characters and meet your audience where they are. Gaming used to be part of the post-television and film licensing strategy, but now we are developing some of our content to be game-first. What it allows you to do is see first-hand and almost immediately what resonates and how the audience will play, adapt or change it to their liking. You can then take that knowledge and level-up the gaming experience, but also allow it to influence storytelling with these characters and concepts on other more narrative-based platforms.
