The Impact of the Paramount-Warner Deal on Netflix’s Kids Content
Netflix’s recent attempt to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has highlighted potential shifts in its children’s content landscape. New data sheds light on this impact, revealing significant performance trends in the streaming service’s kids programming.
The latest Netflix Kids Content Performance Report, covering the latter half of 2025, indicates that nearly one-third of the most-watched children’s shows on the platform are owned by Paramount’s Nickelodeon or WBD’s Cartoon Network. Following the potential completion of the Paramount-WBD merger, these titles may become exclusive to Paramount+ and HBO Max or a combined streaming service.
Among the top shows analyzed, the most popular Netflix kids series was PAW Patrol, followed by Peppa Pig, SpongeBob SquarePants, Teen Titans Go!, The Loud House, and The Amazing World of Gumball. While PAW Patrol and Peppa Pig are not owned by Paramount or WBD, they have aired on their networks consistently.
Emily Horgan, a former Disney executive and kids TV consultant, compiled the report, which raises concerns about how the $111 billion Paramount-WBD deal might alter the availability of these titles on Netflix globally.
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According to the report, nearly half of the Warner Bros. kids and family catalog titles are available on Netflix in various markets, suggesting a strong licensing pipeline that includes both recent releases and older content. This spans several popular Paramount properties, including SpongeBob SquarePants.
The report also notes, “Under an exclusivity model, the loss of titles like Teen Titans Go! and The Amazing World of Gumball would represent a hit to Netflix’s kids engagement numbers. There’s no question these titles would all sit very comfortably alongside SpongeBob SquarePants in a strong animation offering for Paramount+, making the prospect of losing them to a consolidated competitor a real consideration for Netflix’s kids strategy.”
Further complicating matters is WBD’s extensive animation deal with Fox’s Tubi, struck earlier this year, which adds another layer of complexity to the licensing dynamics.
Paramount’s SpongeBob was the seventh most-watched kids show on Netflix during the second half of 2025, garnering over 100 million hours viewed. On the WBD side, Teen Titans Go! led with 98.2 million hours, followed closely by The Amazing World of Gumball at 92.3 million. Historically, Cartoon Network properties have performed well on Netflix.
Long-standing hits such as CoComelon, PAW Patrol, and Ms. Rachel continue to attract significant family viewership, consistently ranking high in Netflix’s performance updates.
According to the report, PAW Patrol topped viewership in the latter half of 2025, with a 38% increase equating to approximately 350 million hours viewed. Gabby’s Dollhouse and Peppa Pig followed, while Ms. Rachel also maintained a strong presence. In contrast, CoComelon, which is set to transition to Disney+, experienced a 30% decline in hours viewed. “CoComelon remains a significant volume title, but its downward trend is now a multi-year pattern, uninterrupted by new seasons or spin-offs,” the report concluded.
