In the following interview with ttvnews, Guillermo Sierra, Director of TV and Digital Services at HITN, talks about the growth and offerings of EDYE, which has solidified its position as a safe space where children can be entertained and learn in a universe designed especially for them.
As a brand of HITN, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving community life through the use of cutting-edge technologies, EDYE presents itself as a streaming platform for little ones, where they can be entertained and learn safely.
In an ecosystem where content abounds and limiting children’s access to age-inappropriate content is becoming increasingly difficult, EDYE’s mission is to be a safe and trustworthy space, where the experience is truly positive and where time is not wasted.
Thus, EDYE has achieved very broad distribution, with more than 14 million subscribers in over 26 countries -including the US, Latin America, and Brazil- offering high-quality content ranging from modern retellings of renowned properties to original productions with a well-defined educational focus.
In the following interview with ttvnews, Guillermo Sierra, Director of TV and Digital Services at HITN, shares details about the company’s current status and growth, the latest developments in its content offering, his vision for the evolution of the children’s content industry, and his predictions for the future of the business in the coming years.
What is your current outlook on the children’s content industry? What do you think will be the main trends in terms of genres and productions for 2025?
The industry is going through a very interesting time. Some production companies are consolidating and producing very well-thought-out and carefully curated content. On the channel side, we have seen a significant reduction in the pay TV segment, as major programmers are migrating children’s content to their SVOD platforms. There is also a large amount of low-cost content production that achieves significant audience levels on free platforms, especially YouTube. This content, while successful, is not necessarily suitable for children and often does not reflect the values parents want their children to find in the content they consume. In this environment, EDYE has found a very solid space, with a very broad distribution that already reaches more than 14 million subscribers across its various platforms, which includes the best content in the industry, and has developed the most advanced technological platform.
What are the main challenges of producing children’s content today? What do you look for when selecting projects for your catalog?
EDYE selects a mix of modern takes on well-known properties, which even evoke nostalgia for parents (such as the Smurfs, Heidi, Astroboy, Elmo, and others), with high-quality new titles that introduce children to new characters and new ways of telling stories. In terms of original productions, we’ve focused on short productions with a well-defined educational background, supported by original musical themes, and with excellent animation. These productions feature our mascot Ray as an element of identity.
What are the star titles in your current catalog for the international market?
EDYE has an extraordinary catalog with more than 3,000 episodes of top-quality series. Our agreements with quality producers such as Sesame Workshop, Jim Henson, BBC, 9Story, Studio 100, Wildbrain, and many more, have allowed us to have a catalog with productions such as Maya the Bee, Heidi, Polly Pocket, Daniel Tiger, Hey Duggee, Sid the Science Kid, Pocoyo, and more. We’ll soon have The Smurfs, Go Astro Boy Go, and several new and unique series like I Love, Mittens and Pants, and Boo Snoo.
Unlike previous generations, who accessed content only on linear television, having content available whenever and wherever they want is the norm for today’s children. How do you think the evolution of streaming has changed the business of distributing children’s content?
The consumption of children’s content has changed a lot. Previously, children watched programs on their televisions at home, and parents had more opportunities to participate in the experience. The availability of personal screens has made consumption an activity that children do on their own without much adult involvement or supervision. This generates a lot of worry and guilt among parents. Video-on-demand platforms, especially free ones, have a huge amount of content that is not appropriate for preschoolers, and unfortunately, danger is always just a click away. That’s why EDYE has completely focused on being a safe space for children, where the experience is truly positive and where there is no wasted time. Parents recognize and appreciate this, and we have seen significant growth.
In this sense, what platforms and territories do you currently work with? In which regions do you think there is the greatest potential for growth for your content?
EDYE is distributed primarily through pay TV, internet, and telephone operators. We are also present on all digital platforms, but we don’t dedicate too many resources to direct-to-consumer sales promotion. We strongly believe in the natural partnership between content providers, like EDYE, and the fundamental role of the operator. We are already present in more than 26 countries, including the United States, Latin America, and Brazil.
How do you see the evolution of children’s content and younger audiences in the coming years?
We are going to see a significant revolution toward interactive content and services. In fact, EDYE is already working on its first Artificial Intelligence agent, which will allow children to have conversations with our characters in real time and under strict security systems. We believe that the future of navigation on our platform will be verbal communication with children. We are already working on this and hope to integrate it into all our screens very soon.
