One of Netflix’s Most-Watched Shows Is Adding a New Special

Cocomelon, one of the most-watched programs on Netflix, is adding a new special on Tuesday, June 1. Cocomelon: A Sunny Day for Play is among the new children’s programming the streaming giant is adding next month. Considering the title, it will likely feature JJ and his siblings having some fun in the summer months as they learn through their new adventures.

Cocomelon began as a YouTube channel called ThatsMeonTV in 2006, before evolving into ABC Kid TV in 2013. It took on the name Cocomelon in 2018 and is produced by Treasure Studio. In 2020, Treasure Studio brought Cocomelon content to Netflix, providing parents with another venue for the videos targeted towards preschoolers. The YouTube channel has over 112 million subscribers, making it one of the most-subscribed channels in the world. New episodes can rack up over a million views in a matter of hours after being published on YouTube. In July 2020, British company Moonbug Entertainment acquired Cocomelon.

Incredibly, the show’s popularity made the jump to Netflix without skipping a beat. In December 2020, streaming tracker Reelgood found Cocomelon was one of the most popular shows on Netflix, spending 104 days in Netflix’s Top 10. The only show to rank higher in 2020 was The Office, which is no longer on Netflix. Cocomelon even beat out Netflix’s acclaimed original limited series, The Queen’s Gambit, starring Anya Taylor-Joy.

The success of Cocomelon is astonishing, considering its origins. It started as a hobby for Treasure Studio founder Jay Jeon and his wife, who live in Orange County, California. He worked in films and his wife is a children’s book illustrator. Their own children liked the animated videos first, and have learned in 15 years that children all over the world love them too. “We never imagined our channel could grow this big, or that it could attract such a large and loyal following,” Jeon told The Independent recently. “We’re so amazed each month, each year, and we’re so grateful.”

Their videos don’t focus on just simple topics. In the past year, the Jeons used the coronavirus pandemic to inspiring videos on the importance of washing your hands. “The CoComelon tagline is ‘Be happy and smart,’” Jeon explained. “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.”