Man City First To Launch Youtube Kids Channel

19 Dec 2019 | chris.mcmullan@sportindustry.biz

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Manchester City have become the first football club to launch a dedicated channel on YouTube Kids, a product created by the video sharing platform to give children a safer way to explore videos online.

Hosting a range of children’s content, the club’s new channel will feature behind-the-scenes videos as well as a weekly magazine show entitled ‘Xtra Time’ which will discuss club news both on and off the pitch. Match highlights and bespoke short-form content aimed at children under 12 will also be present on the new account.

In addition to the YouTube Kids launch, City will also host the Man City Kids Fanzone for junior fans and their families before home Premier League fixtures at the Etihad Stadium. The free event will allow fans through the gates of City Football Academy, with football skill games and meet and greet opportunities with club mascots on offer.

Nuria Tarre, Chief Marketing Officer, City Football Group, said: “Launching our dedicated football channel on YouTube Kids is an exciting step for us as we continue to explore new and innovative ways to connect with the next generation of City fans.

“We want to continue to push boundaries beyond our existing platforms to reach new audiences and as YouTube Kids is the number one video platform for children, it feels like the right place to share our content. We strongly believe in creating safe and certified environments for children online and YouTube Kids offers a trusted way for our content to be consumed by the younger generation.”

Cedric Petitpas for YouTube Kids UK, said: “We’re excited to see the launch of a kids-dedicated YouTube channel by Manchester City. We know that kids have an enormous appetite for sports-related content and football in particular. Our team craves this type of content that encourages kids to engage with sports, go out and play with their mates.”

In 2017, City became the first Premier League football club to reach one million subscribers on YouTube, while the new offering follows on from the launch of the Man City Kids app in 2018. That app features videos, games, polls and competitions, but the new channel will provide more content for young fans in a safe online environment.