YouTube Set to Launch a Kid-Friendly Video App
What to expect from YouTube Kids.
— -- YouTube is set to launch a kid-friendly video app on Monday in the Google Play store, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The standalone app is said to initially be available for Android devices in the United States. It will be geared toward making it easy for children to find fun and educational content in areas that interest them, along with a channel dedicated to promoting early literacy.
Among the kid-approved staples expected to be included in the app are videos from Jim Henson TV, Mother Goose Club and Thomas the Tank Engine.
It's expected the app will officially be announced on Monday at the Kidscreen Summit in Miami when YouTube executive Malik Ducard delivers what the conference is billing as a "revealing keynote."
When Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion in 2006, many people wondered if the search giant had wildly overpaid for the site. Today, the website is said to be valued as high as $40 billion.
Half of all views on YouTube now come from mobile devices, making it clear that there's a real market for kids to enjoy a family-friendly version of YouTube via an app.