Online entertainment for pets

Perhaps one of the first to see potential in the field of dedicated dog entertainment were Israel-based duo Ron Levi and Guy Martinovsky who, in 2012, launched DOGTV, a 24-hour television network for dogs. This pet channel was partly taken over by Israeli production company Jasmine Group, after which multinational Discovery Communications also acquired a stake in 2014.

Dedicated dog entertainment

Despite pet parents not really understanding the concept of a TV channel for pets when it started, DOGTV’s CEO Beke Lubeach says that after a decade on air, it is now “widely popular” all over the world.

So much so, that the platform boasts a wide range of programs, not just for dogs but for their owners too. Shows are divided into 3 segments – stimulation, relaxation and exposure– and include shows such as The Dog Chef, Road Dogs or Paws for Love.

The audience

Most subscribers to DOGTV are to be found in the US, Brazil, Portugal and South Korea. Today, the service is also available on video streaming platforms such as Roku, Amazon Fire, Android and Apple TV. The popularity of these streaming services is growing in most of the markets.

Costing $4.99 (€4.66) a month, DOGTV’s typical subscriber is an urban household with dogs that are left home by themselves during the day, without yards or other outdoor spaces.

Boosting pet parenting skills

Notably, the post-pandemic world has brought in a whole new era for pets and their parents. Since, DOGTV has introduced several dog parent programs. Lubeach notes: “The goal is to provide true value to subscribers, with expert tips, original series and valuable information that can help them become better pet parents.” At the same time, pets enjoy the rich content available on the platform.

Last year was the company’s “strongest”, according to Lubeach. “We can proudly say that our very own direct-to-consumer platform is growing year by year. In 2022, we reached a new high of subscribers who registered for free trials and stayed on to become paying subscribers.”

All round entertainment

Streaming giants, including the likes of Amazon’s Prime Video, YouTube and Spotify have also entered this promising market, with content dedicated to entertaining both humans and pets.

YouTube offers visual entertainment to pets at @mayapolarbear. Calming pet content comprising funny challenges and autonomous sensory meridian response videos attract 2.70 million subscribers and more than 430 million views.

Also on YouTube is the popular channel @PaulDinningWildlifeInCornwall. With 648,000 subscribers and more than 477 million views, the channel produces content for cats, birds, dogs and mice that mimic real-life outdoor settings.

Amazon’s Prime Video also has videos curated to entertain pets, including Channel Pet, Cat Heaven Island and Pet Show.

Music to the ears

Spotify, one of the world’s largest audio-streaming subscription services with 489 million users worldwide, has also hopped on the bandwagon with content targeted at pets. Spotify for Pets is a curated playlist for pets that was launched in 2020. It creates personalized playlists for its user’s pets, based on the listener’s preferences, pet’s personality and type of animal.

The Swedish company conducted a study among 5,000 pet parents in the US, the UK, Australia, Spain and Italy and found that 8 in 10 believe their animals like music.

Furthermore, 1 in 5 named their pet after a music artist or band. 71% of owners admitted playing tunes for their pets, 69% singing to their companion animals and a further 57% dancing together. According to Spotify, 46% of owners believe that music is a stress reliever for their furry babies.

Spotify’s This Is Calming Music for Dogs playlist streams have grown by more than 330% in the US since it was introduced in early 2021.

Stimulation

It’s not just music that is being curated for companion animals though! Other audio content is being made to foster calm and relaxed behavior in pets. In fact, scientific research recently concluded that audiobooks work better than music in reducing stress in animals.

Audible for Dogs, developed in collaboration with dog trainer Cesar Millan, claims to combat loneliness when dogs are left at home. The platform features a wide range of audiobooks for dogs with personalized introductions from Millan about their dog appeal.

In a study with 100 dogs, conducted in association with Cesar Millan’s Dog Psychology Center, 76% of dog parents who played audiobooks for their dogs described an improvement in calm behavior in their pets over a 4-week period.