Baby Shark
Baby Shark is a children’s song and franchise of videos, animation, films and merchandise from the South Korean company The Pinkfong CompanyThe Pinkfong CompanyThe Pinkfong Company (formerly SmartStudy) is a Seoul-based South Korean kids and family entertainment company known for the Pinkfong brand and the Baby Shark franchise, with other IP such as Bebefinn and SEALOOK; it listed on KOSDAQ in 2025.Open the full entry (formerly SmartStudy); its Baby Shark Dance video, uploaded in 2016, was the first YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry video to pass 10 billion views.
Contents22 sections
Key facts
June 17, 2016Baby Shark Dance Is Uploaded
On June 17, 2016, the video Baby Shark Dance was published on a Pinkfong YouTube channel.[1]
The song in the video was sung by Hope Segoine, then 10 years old.[2]
2018Campaign Use and Copyright Dispute
In 2018 South Korea’s main right-wing opposition party used Baby Shark as an election campaign song, the starting point of the copyright dispute over the song.[3]
August 2018Global Spread
By August 2018 Pinkfong said Baby Shark had been watched 3.3 billion times, not counting the many dance tributes tagged #BabySharkChallenge; the song had been translated into 10 languages.[4]
2019–2021Johnny Only Copyright Suit
In March 2019 the American children’s entertainer Johnny Only sued SmartStudy for damages over his version of the song. On July 23, 2021, the Seoul Central District Court rejected the claim, finding that Pinkfong’s Baby Shark was based on a traditional singalong chant and that Only’s version added no new creative element to the old song.[3]
June 2019Washington Nationals Anthem
On June 19, 2019, Washington NationalsWashington NationalsThe Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team in Washington, D.C., playing at Nationals Park.Open the full entry player Gerardo Parra chose Baby Shark as his walk-up song before a doubleheader against the Phillies, partly as a nod to his 2-year-old daughter; fans took up singing and clapping along, a routine that continued into the team’s World Series run that year.[5]
Late 2019–2023Oklahoma County Jail Case
Four detainees alleged in a 2021 federal civil rights lawsuit that Oklahoma County jail officers made them stand handcuffed for hours in late 2019 while Baby Shark played loudly. Two former officers pleaded no contest to misdemeanor cruelty to a prisoner and received two years’ probation; charges against a supervisor were dismissed.[6]
2020Most-Viewed YouTube Video
In 2020 Baby Shark Dance overtook Luis Fonsi’s Despacito as the most-viewed YouTube video, and by February 2021 its views exceeded the human population of Earth.[2]
November 2020RIAA Certification
On November 5, 2020, the Recording Industry Association of America certified Pinkfong’s single Baby Shark 11 times Platinum.[7]
Pinkfong said it was the first RIAA Diamond certification for a Korean work.[8]
July 2021Series Renewal and Film Development
In July 2021 Nickelodeon renewed the preschool series Baby Shark’s Big Show! for a 26-episode second season; in the second quarter of 2021 it ranked second among kids 5 and under, behind Paw Patrol. Nickelodeon Animation and SmartStudy also began developing a Baby Shark feature film.[9]
January 2022First YouTube Video to Reach 10 Billion Views
On January 13, 2022, The Pinkfong Company announced that Baby Shark Dance had become the first YouTube video to pass 10 billion views, about 2.3 billion more than the second-ranked Despacito music video.[10]
August 2023Collaboration with The Wiggles
On August 18, 2023, Baby Shark (feat. The Wiggles), the first of a four-episode music video series with The Wiggles combining live action and 2D animation, premiered on YouTube.[11]
November 2023ENHYPEN Single and Macy’s Parade
In November 2023 The Pinkfong Company and Nickelodeon released the music video for Keep Swimmin’ Through, a single from Baby Shark’s Big Movie performed by ENHYPEN.[12]
Pinkfong Baby Shark was invited for a second straight year to represent Korean characters at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York on November 23.[13]
December 8, 2023Baby Shark’s Big Movie Premieres
Baby Shark’s Big Movie, the first original feature-length animated film based on Baby Shark, premiered on Nickelodeon on December 8, 2023, and streamed on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Canada, with the U.K. and Australia following the next day.[14]
January 2024LG Smart TV App
In January 2024 The Pinkfong Company introduced its first Baby Shark smart TV app at CES 2024, available on LG Smart TVs in 184 countries in seven languages.[15]
April 2024Brawl Stars Collaboration
From April 1, 2024, Baby Shark appeared in a limited-time collaboration with Supercell’s mobile game Brawl Stars, which added a Baby Shark challenge and a Baby Shark skin for the character El Primo.[16]
July 2024Most-Streamed Music Video in the U.K.
In July 2024 Baby Shark topped the U.K. Official Charts ranking of most-streamed music videos, with more than 271.96 million U.K. streams.[17]
December 2024Sesame Street Collaboration
In December 2024 Baby Shark teamed up with Sesame Street on a holiday music video and an apparel and accessories collection, leading into Baby Shark’s 10th anniversary in 2025.[18]
April 2025Moon Shark Webtoon Debuts in North America
In April 2025 the Baby Shark spinoff webtoon Moon Shark launched in North America, including the U.S., on five digital platforms, following Sid, an undersea shark princess who becomes a social media star in the human world.[19]
August 202510th Anniversary NYC Ferry Event
To mark Baby Shark’s 10th anniversary, The Pinkfong Company partnered with NYC Ferry on a Baby Shark-themed activation on the Astoria route on August 30, 2025.[20]
December 2025Peppa Pig Collaboration
In December 2025 The Pinkfong Company and Hasbro announced a holiday Baby Shark x Peppa Pig collaboration, starting with the mash-up track Baby Shark x Peppa Pig (Dance Remix) on streaming platforms, followed by an animated music video.[21]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Pinkfong: Official website: https://www.pinkfong.com/en (opens in a new window)[22]
The Pinkfong Company: Official website: https://www.thepinkfongcompany.com/en (opens in a new window)[23]
Sources
- Baby Shark Dance | #babyshark Most Viewed Video | Animal Songs | PINKFONG Songs for Children (opens in a new window)
- Baby Shark becomes first YouTube video to reach 10 billion views (opens in a new window)
- American toddler music entertainer loses legal battle against Korean Baby Shark video (opens in a new window)
- “Baby Shark”: A viral earworm for kids that is eating the world (opens in a new window)
- How ‘Baby Shark’ became the anthem of the Nationals’ 2019 season and World Series run (opens in a new window)
- Former Oklahoma jail officers sued over ‘Baby Shark’ torture tactic are placed on probation (opens in a new window)
- Gold & Platinum - RIAA (opens in a new window)
- 핑크퐁 아기상어, 美 RIAA 한국 최초 다이아몬드 및 최다 멀티 플래티넘 신기록 (opens in a new window)
- ‘Baby Shark’ Renewed for Season 2, Feature Film in Works at Nickelodeon (opens in a new window)
- 더핑크퐁컴퍼니, ‘핑크퐁 아기상어 체조’ 세계 최초 100억뷰 영상 등극 (opens in a new window)
- Baby Shark and The Wiggles To Celebrate Friendship With New Music Video Series (opens in a new window)
- The Pinkfong Company and Nickelodeon Unveil Music Video for Baby Shark's Big Movie Single "Keep Swimmin' Through," Featuring K-pop Powerhouse ENHYPEN (opens in a new window)
- 핑크퐁 아기상어, 美 '메이시스 땡스기빙 데이 퍼레이드' 韓 캐릭터 대표 초청 (opens in a new window)
- Pinkfong, Nickelodeon, and Paramount+ Reveal the Official Trailer for the Original Animated Musical Adventure BABY SHARK'S BIG MOVIE, Premiering Friday, Dec. 8, on Nickelodeon and Paramount+ (opens in a new window)
- Baby Shark Swims to CES 2024 with its First Smart TV App on LG Smart TV (opens in a new window)
- Baby Shark Teams up with Supercell's Global Hit 'Brawl Stars' (opens in a new window)
- 핑크퐁 아기상어, 英 오피셜 차트 '최다 스트리밍 뮤직비디오(MV)' 1위 등극… K팝 최초이자 유일 (opens in a new window)
- Baby Shark and Sesame Street Team Up for a Magical Holiday Musical Celebration and Merchandise Collection (opens in a new window)
- The Pinkfong Company Announces US Debut of Baby Shark's Spin-Off Webtoon Series "Moon Shark" (opens in a new window)
- Baby Shark and NYC Ferry Invite Families for a Fin-tastic Summer Splash (opens in a new window)
- The Pinkfong Company and Hasbro Unveil Baby Shark x PEPPA PIG Collaboration (opens in a new window)
- Global kids' content with Pinkfong, Baby Shark, and ... (opens in a new window)
- The Pinkfong Company, Inc. (opens in a new window)