Exclusive: Sandbox Group launches PlayKids+

UK-based education publishing outfit, Sandbox Group, has launched the kids-centred app, PlayKids+, that adapts its UI and featured content according to each child’s age.

The fit for all product is suitable for children aged 2-12, with up to five profiles per household which can be personalised to each child’s age. Sandbox will also later launch a FAST channel under the PlayKids+ brand called PlayKids TV,  according to chief revenue officer Shan Eisenberg.

Speaking to Digital TV Europe, Eisenberg described the new gaming product as “an all-encompassing super app” that grows with the child and reaches all the kids in a family.

“What we have observed with our B2B distribution partners is that there was quite a lot of fragmentation in the kids content and the use of content varies a lot as the ages of the kids evolve. This makes it quite tricky for operators, when there is a multitude of fragmented products, he said.”The one thing that telcos don’t like so much is the complexity of implementation and complexity of execution with content.”

Shan Eisenberg

Eisenberg explained this pushed the company to create an innovative “super app” product for the market that “addresses the whole household” and “all the needs of the family”. But to also create a product that tackles the increasing subscription churn among kids and a product which is of value for parents during these “times of difficult economic situations more than ever.”

He said, “Simplicity here is the key. Simplicity of the proposition, because it’s only one product for the whole household.”

Content

The Brazilian-originated educational kids’ platform PlayKids which was acquired by Sandbox last year will become PlayKids+, combining Sandbox’s existing children’s learning services including Hopster, Kidomi and Curious World as part of the rebrand.

Content is curated from the group’s library of licensed and original shows, games, kids generated podcasts and music, with over 1000 videos and 150 games from launch. Among the line-up of titles are Talking Tom Shorts, Alphablocks, Numberblocks, and Mama and the Bear.

Content displayed in PlayKids+ adjusts depending on the child’s age to ensure content is age-appropriate and reflect the user’s learning stage. Content for the youngest users is based around their favourite characters, whereas for older children the app displays text and allows for content search.

The kids app is to rollout additional features on the app following the launch including a virtual pet assistant, revealed the Sandbox exec.

The PlayKids+ launch is part of the company’s wider expansion plans into the gaming sector, following the launch of its of its 40+ subscription service Focus. However, Eisenberg noted PlayKids+ was developed to deliver positive screen time.

“We don’t want to include to any kind of gamification within our products that would be potentially stress inducing for the kids,” he added. “This is just an example of how we want to take the ingredients that we know are working for high engagement apps but within ethical limits that are really core to our brand.”

Designed for telcos, PlayKids+ addresses “an unprecedented scale of young families’ growing needs and offers them better value compared to traditional PayTV services”, said Sandbox.

The education-focused media outfit will launch the app later this year to various telcos’ users in partnership with Sky Brazil, TIM Brazil,  Vivo, Claro in Brazil, T-Mobile and more.

PlayKids+ is to debut across markets in Latin America, the US and UK in Portuguese and English language, with launches also in France and MENA in Arabic to follow.