Children’s videos have become YouTube’s biggest money-spinners, with five of the platform’s top 10 most-viewed clips last year being kids’ songs.
Pinkfong’s ‘Baby Shark Dance’ has held onto its title as YouTube’s top-watched video worldwide for a fifth consecutive year.
The video has amassed 16.42 billion views, generating an estimated US$30 million in ad revenue for the South Korean educational and entertainment brand.
‘Despacito’ by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee ranked second with nearly 8.86 billion views, translating to more than US$16 million in estimated ad revenue.
CoComelon’s version of the nursery rhyme Wheels on the Bus took third place, earning more than US$15 million in ad revenue.
Five of the top 10 most-viewed videos were children’s songs, collectively generating an estimated $84 million in ad revenue.
The US dominated the ranking with six of the top 10 videos, spanning both children’s content and major pop hits.
“The fact that all of YouTube’s top ten most-viewed videos are songs – five of them children’s nursery rhymes – highlights how music remains the platform’s primary engine of views, far outpacing vlogs, streaming, or lifestyle content,” said BonusInsider data analyst David Sandler.
“This emphasizes how music, especially visually engaging children’s songs, delivers the highest replay value and ad revenue on YouTube.
“Baby Shark stands out as a clear example of this. Nearly a decade on, it is still the most-watched video on the platform, and it continues to generate millions for its owner, Pinkfong, reflecting the recent rising valuation of the company. It shows how a single viral hit can fuel an entire media brand.”
BonusInsider used InfluencerMarketingHub’s YouTube Money Calculator to identify the creators and videos generating the highest global reach and ad-driven revenue.