PBS Kids
PBS's children's media brand combining educational television programming, a national daytime block, a 24-hour channel, streaming services, games, and related digital content.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
PBS Kids is the children's media brand used by the Public Broadcasting Service and its member stations for nationally distributed educational and informative programming. Its principal audience is children in the preschool and early elementary years, broadly spanning ages two to eight, although some programs and distribution services reach children up to approximately nine years old. The brand combines animated and live-action series with digital games, short-form videos, classroom and family resources, mobile applications, streaming, and broadcast services. The brand developed from PBS's long-standing children's programming portfolio, which included programs such as Sesame Street, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and Reading Rainbow. Before PBS Kids, PBS used the PTV identity beginning in the early 1990s to package children's programs and educational interstitials under a common presentation. PTV was closely associated with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS's Ready-to-Learn initiative, which sought to improve access to early-childhood educational content, particularly for underserved communities. The PTV framework also introduced the P-Pals characters and the school-age-oriented block The Game. PBS introduced the PBS Kids identity in 1999 as part of a broader expansion of its children's programming and services. The launch included a national daytime brand, a 24-hour television channel, new visual branding, a larger programming investment, and digital activities. The identity used a bright green wordmark and the child character Dash alongside Dot, with the packaging built around ideas of imagination, inquiry, and learning. The original 24-hour channel did not achieve lasting distribution and was discontinued in 2005. PBS subsequently participated in the commercial PBS Kids Sprout venture with Comcast, HIT Entertainment, and Sesame Workshop. Comcast later acquired full control of Sprout through NBCUniversal, and PBS no longer operated that service as its own channel. PBS revived its own 24-hour children's service in 2017 as a digital multicast and over-the-top network with an online livestream. The current service is distributed by participating PBS member stations and through digital platforms, and it is programmed separately from the daytime block in order to expand the number of hours available to families without simply duplicating the same programs at the same time. The PBS Kids Video app provides free on-demand episodes, clips, games, and access to a live stream of the channel. The brand has also used special programming blocks and partnerships to extend its reach. PBS Kids Go!, introduced in 2004 for children roughly six to eight years old, was discontinued in 2013 after PBS concluded that the main PBS Kids identity was more recognizable and that children crossed between the intended age groups. PBS Kids Family Night, launched in 2017, presents encore movies, specials, and themed programming on the 24-hour service. PBS temporarily carried selected Peanuts holiday specials through a 2020 agreement involving Apple TV+. In 2022, PBS Kids adopted a new visual identity designed by Lippincott. The primary logo shifted to an electric-blue circular form while retaining a recognizable version of the wordmark. Dash was retired from the core identity and replaced in promotional materials by customizable characters designed to represent a wider range of children, including varied skin tones, facial characteristics, and disability aids. In 2023, PBS reduced the nationally scheduled daytime block from roughly thirteen hours to eight, citing changing viewing habits, the growth of digital services, and member stations' desire to schedule more general-audience programming during afternoons. The 24/7 channel and digital services remain central to the brand's distribution strategy.
History
PBS's children's service predates the PBS Kids name. For many years, children's programs such as Sesame Street, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and Reading Rainbow aired under the general PBS identity. In August 1993, PBS began introducing a distinct presentation system featuring animated P-Pals shaped like the PBS logo. These characters appeared in interstitials designed to encourage information gathering, cooperation, self-esteem, and goal setting. On July 11, 1994, PBS packaged much of its existing educational children's programming into a block called PTV, initially carried by eleven member stations. PTV combined scheduled series with interstitial material set in the fictional PTV Park for younger viewers and additional live-action and music-video material for older children. Its development was connected to PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's Ready-to-Learn initiative, which supported educational access for young children and the creation of new programming and outreach resources. Apple Computer provided a grant and became an early national underwriter, while later Ready-to-Learn support contributed to projects including Dragon Tales and Between the Lions. By 1996, PTV was carried by most PBS stations, and PBS also created The Game, a block aimed at school-age children. PBS announced the PBS Kids Channel in January 1999 and unveiled the broader PBS Kids identity in June of that year. The rebrand took effect on September 6, 1999, when the first 24-hour channel launched, with the identity rolling out across member stations afterward. PBS expanded its children's programming commitment, added new series, and introduced a visual system built around a thought-bubble concept and the green Dash and Dot characters. The PBS Kids website was relaunched with expanded interactive material in February 2000. The original 24-hour channel struggled to secure sustainable distribution and closed in 2005. PBS then joined Comcast, HIT Entertainment, and Sesame Workshop in creating PBS Kids Sprout, a commercially operated preschool cable network. Comcast ultimately acquired the other partners' interests through NBCUniversal and took full ownership in 2013. PBS continued to distribute children's programming through its member-station block and digital services. PBS introduced PBS Kids Go! in October 2004 for children approximately six to eight years old and later considered a dedicated digital channel, but that channel was not launched. PBS ended PBS Kids Go! in 2013 after research indicated that the primary PBS Kids name had stronger recognition and that viewing patterns did not require separate preschool and school-age identities. The PBS Kids Go! video player had launched online in 2008 and later developed into the PBS Kids Video app, which became publicly available in 2011. On January 16, 2017, PBS relaunched a 24-hour PBS Kids service as a digital multicast and streaming network. The new service was carried by participating stations, streamed through PBS digital products, and counterprogrammed against the local daytime block. PBS Kids Family Night was introduced that year as a weekend evening feature on the 24/7 channel. PBS also expanded digital and platform distribution. PBS Kids programming became available through Roku in 2013, and a 2016 agreement between PBS Distribution and Amazon Prime Video placed a substantial selection of series in a subscription offering. International distribution has included channel and on-demand arrangements with partners such as MultiChoice in sub-Saharan Africa and Foxtel in Australia; those cited channel arrangements later ended. In November 2020, PBS and PBS Kids temporarily became over-the-air homes for selected Peanuts holiday specials under a sublicense connected to Apple TV+. The arrangement ended after the 2021 holiday season. On July 19, 2022, PBS Kids launched a new identity developed by Lippincott. The redesign aligned the children's brand more closely with PBS's wider visual system, retained a recognizable wordmark, retired Dash as the principal mascot, and introduced customizable promotional characters with broader representation. In February 2023, PBS reduced the national daytime block from thirteen to eight hours. PBS attributed the change to altered viewing behavior, the growing importance of digital and 24-hour services, and member stations' scheduling needs. In April 2024, The Roku Channel introduced PBS Retro, a free ad-supported channel carrying older PBS programs, including children's classics.
- 2024
PBS Retro launches
[1]The Roku Channel added a free ad-supported channel featuring archival PBS programming.
- 2023
Daytime block shortened
[1]The national daytime block was reduced from roughly thirteen hours to eight hours per day.
- 2022
Visual identity redesigned
[1]PBS Kids introduced a blue circular logo and customizable character system.
- 2017
PBS Kids 24/7 relaunches
[1]PBS launched the current digital multicast, over-the-top, and livestream channel.
- 2013
PBS Kids Go! discontinued
[1]PBS consolidated the school-age block into the main PBS Kids identity.
- 2011
PBS Kids Video app becomes available
[1]The video platform expanded into a free public app for clips and full episodes.
- 2008
PBS Kids Go! video player launches
[1]PBS introduced an online video service for school-age PBS Kids Go! programming.
- 2005
Original PBS Kids Channel closes
[1]PBS ended the first 24-hour channel and participated in the launch of PBS Kids Sprout with commercial partners.
- 2000
PBS Kids website relaunches
[1]The website expanded its interactive activities and digital learning content.
- 1999
PBS Kids brand and original channel launch
[1]PBS introduced the PBS Kids identity and launched its first 24-hour children's channel.
Products and positioning
A trusted, publicly funded children's media service centered on learning, early literacy, mathematics, science, social-emotional development, inclusion, and free or broadly accessible distribution rather than commercial advertising.
Broadcast programming · 1999
PBS Kids daytime programming block
The core PBS Kids service carried by PBS member stations. It presents animated and live-action educational series, generally for preschool and early elementary audiences, with stations adapting portions of the schedule to local needs. The national block was shortened in 2023 as PBS shifted more emphasis toward the 24/7 channel and digital viewing.
Television and streaming channel · 2017
PBS Kids Channel / PBS Kids 24/7
The current 24-hour PBS Kids network launched in 2017 after the original channel closed in 2005. It is distributed through participating stations' digital multicast services and online platforms, with programming designed to provide continuous access to educational children's content and to complement, rather than simply duplicate, the local daytime block.
Streaming and mobile application · 2011
PBS Kids Video
PBS Kids Video is the brand's principal free digital video service. It offers clips, full episodes, interactive features, and a livestream of the PBS Kids 24/7 channel through web and supported application platforms. It evolved from the PBS Kids Go! video player introduced in 2008.
Programming block · 2017
PBS Kids Family Night
A weekend evening feature on the 24/7 channel that presents encore broadcasts of PBS Kids movies and specials, as well as themed programming events and mini-marathons.
Former programming block · 2004
PBS Kids Go!
A late-afternoon block introduced for school-age children, particularly viewers approximately six to eight years old. PBS ended the block in 2013 after concluding that the main PBS Kids identity was more recognizable and that the audience overlap made a separate brand unnecessary.
Marketing campaigns
- 2022PBS Kids inclusive identity redesign
United States
The brand introduced customizable promotional characters with varied appearances and disability aids, aligning its identity with a more inclusive representation of children.
Outcome. Replaced the previous mascot-centered presentation while preserving recognizable PBS Kids branding.
- 1995Bring Learning Home
United States
Apple Computer supported PTV through a grant and national underwriting initiative focused on bringing learning resources into homes.
Outcome. Provided early financial and promotional support for the PTV service.
- 1994Ready-to-Learn / PTV outreach
United States
PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting used PTV packaging, interstitials, grants, and station outreach to broaden access to early-childhood educational programming, especially for underserved children.
Outcome. Helped establish the educational and public-service framework that preceded PBS Kids.
Brand decisions
2023
Shorten the daytime blockStrategyBackground
PBS cited changing viewing habits, increased use of digital services, and member stations' interest in afternoon general-audience programming.
Action taken
PBS reduced the national daytime PBS Kids schedule from approximately thirteen hours to eight hours per day.
Aftermath
The change concentrated the traditional block more heavily in mornings while preserving all-day access through the 24/7 channel and digital products.
2017
Relaunch the 24-hour PBS Kids serviceProduct launchBackground
PBS sought to restore continuous children's programming using digital multicast television, streaming, and online video distribution.
Action taken
PBS launched a new PBS Kids Channel with station-based digital distribution, online livestreaming, and app access.
Aftermath
The 24/7 service became a central part of PBS Kids' strategy as station blocks and viewing behavior moved toward digital platforms.
2013
Consolidate PBS Kids Go! into PBS KidsStrategyBackground
PBS research indicated stronger recognition for PBS Kids and substantial overlap between preschool and school-age viewing.
Action taken
PBS discontinued the PBS Kids Go! block and unified the programming presentation under PBS Kids.
Aftermath
The single-brand approach remained the basis for subsequent broadcast and digital services.
2005
Replace the original 24-hour channel with PBS Kids SproutStrategyBackground
The first PBS Kids Channel had not achieved sustainable distribution.
Action taken
PBS joined Comcast, HIT Entertainment, and Sesame Workshop in launching the commercially operated PBS Kids Sprout network.
Aftermath
Comcast later acquired full ownership of Sprout through NBCUniversal in 2013.
1999
Create an integrated PBS Kids brandStrategyBackground
PBS wanted a unified identity for its children's programs, stations, channel plans, and digital initiatives, building on the earlier PTV service.
Action taken
PBS launched the PBS Kids name, expanded children's programming investment, and introduced a 24-hour channel and coordinated visual identity.
Aftermath
The brand became PBS's principal children's service, although the original 24-hour channel was later discontinued.
Sources1 sources
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