How ‘CoComelon’ became a mass media juggernaut for preschoolers
UC children’s media expert Nancy Jennings cited in L.A. Times article
Every generation has its cartoon favorites. What appears to be all the rage now is “CoComelon”, with a big-headed, animated toddler named JJ as the main character.
According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, in 2023, “CoComelon” ranked fifth on Nielsen’s list of top 10 overall streaming programs, bested only by the legal drama “Suits,” the Australian animated series “Bluey,” the long-running procedural “NCIS” and the medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy.” Beyond its presence on Netflix, the brand also commands massive engagement on its native YouTube. By 2020, “CoComelon” was the most-watched YouTube channel in the world, with more than 3.5 billion average monthly views.
“It’s heartwarming; it’s easy to digest,” Nancy Jennings, a professor at the University of Cincinnati and director of its Children’s Entertainment and Education Research Lab, says in the article.
“There’s not a lot of dialogue that you have to follow, and with the songs too, a lot of the characteristics of the show are attractive to kids in general,” said Jennings.
Professor Jennings is an often-cited expert resource on children's entertainment for articles and news reports.
Read the article, which also focuses on the economics of children’s entertainment.
Feature photo at top of boy looking at a screen: iStock Photo/Kemal Yildirim
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
UC expands partnership with Thales for AI research
April 22, 2026
The University of Cincinnati’s interdisciplinary research facility Digital Futures welcomed its first industrial partner, Thales, at the beginning of Research + Innovation week. Thales is a global aerospace, defense and digital technology firm. Headquartered in France, it employs 83,000 people in dozens of countries, according to the Business Courier.
Record-setting UC track and field star sprints toward the future
April 22, 2026
University of Cincinnati student‑athlete Juliette Laracuente‑Huebner is graduating in three years with a 4.0 GPA, UC track and field records and All‑America honors, while pursuing a Doctor of Audiology and training for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
UC students train scientists in detecting 'forever chemicals' in drinking water
April 22, 2026
Geosciences students and faculty at the University of Cincinnati shared their expertise federal scientists from across the country in the latest tools to study groundwater.