Three of the top-ten ranked shows were anime series
February 9, 2021—The popular animated TV series, “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” led the list of children’s TV series programming viewed most on Netflix in the United States in 2020, followed by the Netflix-produced “The Boss Baby: Back in Business,” and “Naruto.”
In the top 10 rankings of kids animated programming, based on the number of minutes the series was viewed on Netflix last year, three of them were anime series, according to The NPD Group.
Originating in Japan, anime uses a colourful yet simple graphic style to tell fantastic or futuristic stories. “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” “Naruto,” and “The Legend of Korra,” are examples of this popular style of animation in the 2020 top 10 Subscription Video Track ranking from NPD.
“The original ‘Avatar’ series ran for three seasons on Nickelodeon between 2005 and 2008, proving that even older TV shows can have tremendous staying power with younger audiences,” according to John Buffone, executive director and industry analyst at The NPD Group.
Nine of the top 10 series also had toys licensed from the original TV shows. “Johnny Test” was the only franchise on the list without any licensed toys in the market, possibly due to the fact that it originally aired back in 2005, although the series remains popular on Netflix.
“Whether on first-run series or those that have moved to subscription video services, popular TV shows for kids can add a powerful boost to licensed toy sales,” Buffone said.
