The Untold Truth Of CoComelon

You might be surprised to learn that one of the most popular Netflix shows of all time is actually a children's show — the series CoComelon isn't exactly what you'd call gripping television, at least not for adults, that is. Most of the time when a new show hits Netflix or another streaming platform, you hear about it through work, friends, or social media — shows like Bridgerton or Stranger Things obviously get people talking and for good reasons. But, when it comes to popularity, CoComelon is actually right up there with Netflix's other hits.

CoComelon, which has dominated streaming platforms like Netflix and YouTube for most of 2020, is not just a children's show like something you'd see on the Disney Channel — this show is for little kids, even babies. And what's more, the untold truth of CoComelon reveals that although it's for kids, the show is part of a major industry that's pretty lucrative.

To watch CoComelon today, either on Netflix or YouTube, you might notice just how fun, colorful, and modern it looks. But this was not always the case, and, in fact, the concept behind CoComelon was actually first developed back in 2006.

Specifically, according to the Independent, the series came about from a California couple looking to entertain their own children. They created animated videos for their sons and posted their first video to the internet in 2006 after seeing how much their own kids liked them. Jay Jeon, the husband behind CoComelon, told the Independent that he and his wife, who happened to be a children's book illustrator, were truly inspired by their kids. "Our kids' reaction gave us the confidence to keep going, and so we pursued it as a hobby," Jeon said. CoComelon was truly made for kids, with the interest of children always in mind.

If you thought that a kids' show and brand like CoComelon couldn't compete with adult shows in terms of popularity, then you'd be wrong. To say that CoComelon is super popular would be an understatement. The children's entertainment brand, with all its shows and clips, has been dominating streaming platforms for a while now, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down any time soon.

According to Forbes, CoComelon actually surpassed 100 million YouTube subscribers in December 2020, putting it in the top three of any YouTube channel. Additionally, CoComelon also passed 100 billion lifetime views on YouTube, putting it in the top two of those channels. And that's not all. On Netflix, CoComelon spent over 100 days in a row on the Top 10 list. CoComelon might not be your idea of a good time, but all the kids who watch the show definitely keep coming back for more, making it a certified hit. Clearly, children really are the future.

Sure, CoComelon is a kids' show and not exactly the most exciting series to hit streaming platforms, but the show might still surprise you yet. Yes, it's mostly just animated toddlers singing nursery rhymes while the adults in their life are way too happy to join in with them, but kids love it, and that's what makes it a success. Not only does CoComelon amass a ton of viewers, but it also brings in a ton of dough.

According to the Wall Street Journal (via the Independent), the children's brand is seriously flush with cash. Specifically, CoComelon makes about $120 million per year, but that's not all. The global entertainment company Moonbug crowdsourced over $250 million to purchase children's channels and spent a massive amount not yet revealed to acquire CoComelon. Safe to say, CoComelon is a big money-maker, and to think that it all started with two parents just trying to make their kids happy.

As the minds that first thought of the CoComelon concept were parents, it makes sense that they would be pretty passionate about what they do. After all, the desire to create something fun and entertaining for your kids has to come from a place of deep love and caring for them. And that passion for their cause is exactly what fuels CoComelon creators Jay Jeon and his wife. "With everything we do, we want families all across the globe to look to [CoComelon] as a supporting partner to them as parents and in their kids' learning and growing," Jeon told the Independent. 

Sure, CoComelon is a huge brand with a ton of success, but that's not what it's about for the show's creators. "We're so focused day-to-day on the quality of our content and ensuring [it's] enriching for our audience, it's become a key part of the company's DNA," Jeon explained. CoComelon isn't just a job to its creators, it's something they truly care about, and that's only part of what sets it apart from similar programming.

While most of CoComelon centers around kids just living their everyday lives, which includes going to school and playing at home, the show does tackle some serious topics. Well, sort of. While CoComelon isn't exactly high-brow entertainment, it can get pretty real.

CoComelon creator Jay Jeon explained that while CoComelon tries to be fun and engaging for children, the show's creators also try to stay relevant with the topics they present. "The CoComelon tagline is 'Be happy and smart,'" Jeon told the Independent. And when the COVID-19 pandemic hit everyone in 2020, CoComelon was right there with the kids watching. "As content creators, we've always tried to keep our stories relevant to our audience, and we've created some themed videos — including a washing hands video as well as videos more centered around activities that can be done at home." Kids have had to adjust to a lot of changes, but CoComelon has been there for them through it all.

Like anything that's popular, CoComelon has more than a few haters. Sure, it's a kids' show, but not every child is going to enjoy it and certainly not every adult will, either.

In fact, the show CoComelon and all its viewers got so many people talking that even Swedish YouTuber Felix "PewDiePie" Kjellberg was inspired by it — but not exactly in a good way. No, PewDiePie actually wrote a diss track about CoComelon that was so vulgar it got banned on YouTube. One line from the track, for example, is this: "It's not even funny and your head is really big." And this is one of the more mildly offensive lines. With that in mind, it's no wonder the track got banned. In fact, a spokesperson from YouTube told The Verge, "Following a review, we've removed the video in question for violating those policies because they had the effect of encouraging abusive fan behavior."

With all the smashing success that CoComelon has brought about, it makes sense that the brand would expand to include things other than just shows and clips online. So — just like you can purchase Stranger Things action figures — if you have a child or someone you know who loves CoComelon, then you might like to know that yes, you can buy CoComelon toys. At Target, Amazon, and other retailers, you can get CoComelon merchandise that the toddler in your life will seriously appreciate.

According to Romper, the CoComelon plush was actually the most searched for toy online during the 2020 holiday season. In fact, CoComelon toys have been so popular that people were selling them on eBay for way more than the retail price. Still, the CoComelon merchandise has obviously been a smashing success. After all, what toddler wouldn't love to hold a toy from their favorite show while watching their favorite show? Yeah, exactly. It's not rocket science that kids love toys, and CoComelon has merely capitalized on that.

If you've never heard of CoComelon until recently, then it might have shocked you to learn that it first came about in 2006. Yes, it's nothing new, exactly, but the show did get extremely popular in 2020, and as big as it is now, this is most likely just the beginning.

CoComelon might be super popular, but the brand has no plans to slow down any time soon. "JJ, his friends and family have been a bright light for children since the brand's inception," René Rechtman, co-founder and CEO of Moonbug, told Forbes. "As kids across the globe look to CoComelon for relatable content, we're continuing to grow the show. This is just the beginning of the brand's global growth as we work to expand the franchise both on and off the screen." So, if you don't have a kid that watches CoComelon now, you might some day, as it looks as though the brand isn't going anywhere.

As previously stated, CoComelon got its start when a husband and wife duo decided to work together to bring their sons some joy. And even as CoComelon turned into something much larger than they could have ever imagined, the people behind the brand didn't want any of the fame that tends to come with that sort of success.

In fact, CoComelon creators Jay Jeon and his wife have laid pretty low despite their huge success. Jeon's wife even stays anonymous, despite her involvement in a multi-million dollar business. And there's a reason for that. "We prefer to let the content we create speak for itself," Jeon told the Independent. "The most important thing for us has always been making videos, stories and characters that resonate strongly with our audiences. It's not about us, it's about serving them." Ugh, if you or your kids didn't already love CoComelon, how could you not now?

You might not think that little, tiny babies could ever really enjoy watching a television show — after all, are babies even really aware of TVs? — but they really do seem to be drawn to CoComelon. Well, it turns out that babies love the show, but why? CoComelon is just an animated series about toddlers and babies singing, so what's so special about it?

Well, just as there's a reason why babies can't drink water, there's a reason for why babies and toddlers are drawn to CoComelon. Licensed psychologist Nicole Beurkens, PhD, told Romper that babies and young children love CoComelon because it's a "multi-sensory experience" that they can enjoy without getting too overwhelmed. "Young children are drawn to the bright visuals — especially the focus on big eyes and faces — the repetitive music and sounds, and the constant movement and action on the screen," Beurkens said. So, if you've never let your baby watch CoComelon, you might just give it a try. They could end up loving it, and you could end up getting a good laugh out of watching their reaction to it.

Though CoComelon has been around for quite some time, the series really took off in more recent years. The entertainment brand knows its audience, that's for sure, but, like plenty of other brands, it's seen more than a few changes over the years. Specifically, after the creative minds behind CoComelon made some pretty intense adjustments to the show and online brand, they were greatly rewarded by YouTube's algorithm, which directed more viewers than ever before to the show.

As the Independent reported, while CoComelon initially started out as "ABCkidTV," the creators eventually changed the name to CoComelon because they thought the name was more "universal and fun for children," and they were right. That change, along with replacing the show's original animation style with 3D animation, really sent CoComelon soaring in popularity, as Insider reported. Once the creators found that magic recipe to CoComelon, the show found its sweet spot.