Kids say YouTube, not Netflix, is the coolest brand

Generation Alpha‘s collective opinion is shifting. The latest edition of the 100 Coolest Brands Report found that YouTube has overtaken Netflix to become the most revered company among kids between the ages of seven and 14.

This is the third annual survey of this type conducted by Beano Brain. Last year, the firm known for its kids and family insights found that Netflix was the coolest brand among children, even amidst a protracted fight between streaming services and Hollywood writers, actors, and showrunners.

In 2024, Beano Brain’s respondents returned to the preferences they expressed in the first Coolest Brands Report — which came out back when Generation Alpha’s collective consciousness was first taking shape. In that survey, as in 2024, kids tabbed YouTube as their favorite brand, with Netflix ranking second.

Beano Brain Director of Strategy Helenor Gilmour argued that YouTube claimed the top spot by building trust among kids and their parents. Its record on child safety compares favorably to rivals like TikTok, where young users are often exposed to inappropriate content.

“YouTube is seen as the platform where kids find experts and learn from them or find help with their homework,” Gilmour said in a statement. “As a result of its safe reputation, educational content and extensive library, YouTube has managed to gain something every brand covets: parental approval.”

Another Gen Alpha-approved brand made a big surge up the rankings in 2024: Roblox. The open-ended sandbox ranked as the sixth-coolest brand, up from ninth, after completing a calendar year in which it paid out $741 million to its creator community. Other kid-friendly game companies like Subway Surfers and EA Sports cracked Beano Brain’s Top 100 for the first time.

Despite the strong presence of entertainment brands near the top of Beano Brain’s ranking, the firm noted that its latest list is diverse in terms of represented categories. Beano Brain Managing Director of Commercial Insight Pete Maginn said there were 14 different categories represented among the 20 coolest brands in the report.

Even with that diversity, YouTube and other digital platforms are still flying high. Beano Brain’s findings validate a Nielsen report from earlier this year, which identified YouTube as the streaming content platform with the biggest market share on TVs. Since the kids seem to love Google’s video service more than any other brand, YouTube’s future looks even brighter than its present.