While other TV channels chase the coveted 18- to 34-year-old demographic, West L.A. cable network BabyFirst TV is after a different demographic: 6-month-olds.

Now in 52 million homes across the country and claiming to be watched by one in three U.S. moms with a child under 3, the network has a lineup of 70 series, all of which have an educational element.

New series “ABC Galaxy,” for instance, teaches kids their A-B-Cs. Sharon Rechter, the network’s co-founder and executive vice president, said that focus on education has set BabyFirst’s series apart from other children’s networks and has helped the 9-year-old company continue to grow. The channel is carried by Time Warner Cable, AT&T Uverse, Dish Network, DirecTV, Comcast, Charter and others.

Now, in its latest expansion push, BabyFirst is developing its own apps, games and merchandise.

“We look at everything as an ecosystem,” Rechter said. “Having built the platform, we now generate revenues from sponsorships, apps and other products related to our educational programming.”

As it develops such offerings, she said BabyFirst trusts a unique market research approach called “the lollipop test” to see how toddlers respond to new apps and other products.

“We put an iPad in the child’s hands and hope they will be instantly engaged in the app, then after a short time offer to swap the iPad for the lollipop,” Rechter explained. “If they take the deal, the app is clearly not engaging enough.”

– Sandro Monetti