Tankee is launching a digital video platform that will create a safe digital destination for kids to watch game videos.
The Austin, Texas-based company has a mobile app that targets children ages 6 to 12 with videos that people, not AI, screen in advance for content, the company said. The on-demand entertainment platform brings kids and their parents age-appropriate gaming videos to one location and features a diverse lineup of curated and licensed gaming content through its partnerships.
Tankee offers access to gameplay videos built around games kids love such as Minecraft, Roblox, and Rocket League. It’s like Twitch or YouTube gaming, but for kids.
Popular social influencers joining the Tankee video network reach a collective social media following of 50 million viewers. The influencers include CutePlay, JeromeASF, NyteOwl, Speedy, Thinknoodles and ThnxCya. The games and videos shown don’t have a lot of blood, realistic gun violence, swear words, sex, drugs or other adult topics that parents would freak out about.
Gerald Youngblood and Dan Chiu, creators of the video platform and cofounders of Tankee, said in a statement they are dedicated to making Tankee a safe destination for elementary school-aged kids and their caregivers to enjoy and discover gaming content. They have expertise from Advanced Micro Devices and ESPN, across esports, gaming content, product development and marketing. They set out to curate a community that fully supports the digital well-being movement and create a place for caregivers and kids to discover the best in gaming videos in a safe and healthy way.
Above: Tankee targets kids with gaming videos.
“Parents are faced with a false choice of having to shut down access for their children or accepting the ills of the internet at large and they shouldn’t have to choose,” said Youngblood, in a statement. “A solution needs to exist that’s built with kids in mind and that’s why we created Tankee. We want kids to be able to enjoy the art and fun of gaming without parents being worried about what their kids may see next.”
Using the iPad screen, kids use Tankee to watch videos and interact in a safe environment. The Tankee platform encourages kids to choose a unique avatar and react to content in real-time with stickers. Kids can create instant highlight clips of their favorite moments and save videos they love. They can follow their favorite gamers and discover talented new content creators.
Along the way, parents can learn more about the games and content before making the decision to download or buy. Tankee complies with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
Tankee forged a partnership with SuperAwesome, which can secure parental authorization for access to content via their Kids Web Services (KWS) platform. Tankee also leverages SuperAwesome’s AwesomeAds to ensure that kids only see age-appropriate ads, which never collect their personal data.
Above: Gerald Youngblood, CEO of Tankee.
“The digital media landscape is being fundamentally reshaped by the under-13 audience”, said Dylan Collins, CEO of SuperAwesome, in a statement. “In response, we are seeing the emergence of new platforms like Tankee designed specifically with kids in mind, encompassing safety and responsibility with entertainment and engagement. We’re incredibly excited to support their launch and growth.”
In the coming months, Tankee will introduce new, original content to its digital video network and create consistent opportunities for brands to reach its audience. Future plans include recognizing quality emerging gaming content, offering Tankee viewers exclusive gaming videos and activating an in-house production unit that will produce kid-friendly, original gaming content in partnership with top gaming influencers and publishers.
Machinima, a division of Warner Bros. Digital Networks and the premier provider of digital gamer entertainment, has partnered with Tankee for a slate of its content featuring massively popular creators like AviatorGaming, Biggs87x, Eckosoldier, JeromeASF, Unspeakable and more.
And SuperParent, the video game resource for the modern parent, has also partnered with Tankee to provide feature and review content for the parent portal of the Tankee platform as well as additional content crafted for kids. Rivals include Fingerprint, which has a digital learning platform with educational games, apps, and learning videos.
