NZ On Air joins trans-Tasman kids content incubator

NZ On Air has joined Screen Australia and the Australian Children's Television Foundation in a children's digital content initiative, giving New Zealand creators access to the Kids IP Incubator alongside Australian teams.

The programme is for established and emerging children's content creators developing original intellectual property for digital-first series. It focuses on formats for direct-to-audience platforms including YouTube and FAST, or free ad-supported streaming television.

Under the arrangement, NZ On Air will select up to four New Zealand teams for the eight-week programme. They will join as many as eight Australian teams in workshops led by industry specialists, as well as online webinar modules, masterclasses, tailored mentorship and an in-person collaborative workshop.

Up to two New Zealand projects will then receive production funding. NZ On Air will invest about NZD $180,000 in running the initiative and has set aside a further NZD $748,000 for development and production support.

The funding commitment points to a broader shift in how public screen agencies approach children's programming. Rather than focusing only on traditional broadcast or subscription platforms, the incubator is built around services where younger audiences already spend time and where creators must think not just about storytelling, but also audience retention, release patterns and revenue models.

That matters for New Zealand producers because the economics of children's content have become more fragmented. Series made for linear television can struggle to reach younger viewers as they once did, while online platforms reward a different mix of creative and commercial decisions, from episode length and publishing cadence to discoverability and brand extension.

Cross-Tasman ties

The partnership adds a trans-Tasman dimension to an initiative now in its second year in Australia. For New Zealand creators, the incubator offers structured contact with Australian peers at the development stage rather than only at the financing or distribution stage, which may help projects travel more easily across markets with similar language and audience habits.

Although the selected New Zealand projects will be developed for local young audiences, the shared programme suggests both countries see value in collaborating on digital-native storytelling. The inclusion of industry experts and marketplace analysts also shows the agencies want participants to understand platform behaviour and business structures as much as creative development.

Applications are open to New Zealand participants who want to join the programme. All applicants must watch a recorded presentation on intellectual property development for online consumption before submitting an application.

That requirement underscores the incubator's emphasis on practical knowledge of online children's media. The recording is intended to give applicants more background on the direct-to-audience market and the current children's content landscape before selection begins.

For NZ On Air, the initiative extends a recent trend among public funders towards backing intellectual property that can originate online rather than be adapted from broadcast commissioning models. In children's media, that can mean projects built from the start for short-form or multi-format distribution, with audience feedback and platform data playing a larger role in development.

It also opens the door to newer entrants. Because the incubator targets both established and emerging creators, it could broaden the pool of producers and storytellers able to pitch children's projects, particularly those whose experience comes from digital video or creator-led publishing rather than conventional television production.

Amie Mills, Head of Funding at NZ On Air, said the agency saw the programme as a way to strengthen links with Australia while helping local creators adapt to where younger viewers are watching.

"We've been looking for ways to build stronger creative ties with Australia, and we loved what the ACTF and Screen Australia started last year. Putting our creators in the same room as theirs, working on a shared kaupapa, gives everyone the chance to learn from each other and develop projects that will connect with tamariki on the platforms they're watching. We hope this is the start of creative partnerships that carry on long after the incubator ends," Mills said.