Kids across the globe love Bluey, and the BBC is taking notice. The British national broadcaster, which handles global distribution for Ludo Studio‘s Australian hit, is planning to capitalize on Bluey‘s popularity by launching a wave of YouTube spinoffs.
Jasmine Dawson, the SVP of Digital at BBC Studios, discussed her company’s plans for the Bluey franchise during an interview with Kidscreen. Dawson revealed that seven new Bluey digital series are in the works, with more than 80 episodes already planned. “We’re only just getting started,” Dawson said.
BBC Studios’ expansion of Bluey‘s digital presence serves as a response to the show’s ballooning viewership. After becoming a favorite among preschoolers and their parents, Bluey emerged as the most-watched show of any type in 2024, amassing 55 billion minutes of streaming traffic.
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Much of that viewership came on Disney+ and associated YouTube channels that augment Bluey‘s reach in the United States. BBC Studios recognized that YouTube could be a powerful vector as well. In February 2024, a star-studded web series called Bluey Book Reads arrived on Bluey‘s official YouTube channel. A year later, that hub has more than ten million subscribers.
Thanks to its cross-generational appeal, Bluey is well-positioned for YouTube growth. Amid a sea of low-quality “brainrot” content on apps like YouTube Kids, viewers and media companies have started championing positive, enriching fare put out by professional early childhood educators like Ms. Rachel. YouTube itself is promoting good-for-you kids’ content through its Youth Digital Wellbeing Initiative, and Bluey meets the criteria for ethical children’s entertainment.
“We’re so lucky to have something like Bluey because it…speaks to all different age ranges,” Dawson told Kidscreen. “Obviously, it was born as a preschool program and brand, but it’s been an absolute rocket ship over its very short life cycle, and it’s something that can unite so many age ranges. That’s a real feat when you think about the program, but also quite difficult for my team, because you have to be so thoughtful about how you cater to an age range that spans from the very young to their grandparents.”
If anything can slow down Bluey on YouTube, it’s potential regulations from federal governments. YouTube is currently exempt from a law that limits social media exposure for under-18 users in Bluey‘s native Australia, but that carveout has been roundly criticized by other social media companies. There’s a family of animated Blue Heelers that is hoping for Australia’s YouTube exemption to remain in place.
