Pocket.watch Answers Global Demand To Deliver Premium Kids Programming, Consumer Products And Advertising Solutions To EMEA And UAE Territories
Company Expands International Footprint with Hiring of Former Disney EMEA Executive Danny Spronz; Adds European YouTube Phenomenon JasonVlogs As Strategic Creator Partner
Ryan's Mystery Playdate
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 11, 2020 -- Pocket.watch, the new studio creating global franchises from the YouTube stars and characters loved by Generation Alpha, today announced the opening of its first international office based in London. The company's expanded global presence will be led by Danny Spronz, who will serve as pocket.watch's Managing Director EMEA, and will be responsible for all business operations, advertising sales, consumer products licensing and content sales in the region. Prior to pocket.watch, Danny was Vice President Digital Partnerships and Influencer Marketing at The Walt Disney Company EMEA.
"The rate of demand for children's programming from the biggest stars and creators loved by generation alpha across EMEA and other western territories shows no signs of slowing down and pocket.watch is uniquely positioned to fill this need," said Danny Spronz, Managing Director EMEA, pocket.watch. "Pocket.watch has proven time and again to be a trailblazer in the kids' entertainment space and I am thrilled to be joining the team to help further the company's success and reach into new territories."
The company's global expansion follows on the heels of NPD reporting that pocket.watch's Ryan's World line of consumer products was the #1 new property in the UK in 2019. To help service the global demand for premium content, pocket.watch has also entered into a partnership with Etisalat, the largest telecom operator in the Middle East, to bring the company's premiere slate of kids programming, including Ryan's Mystery Playdate, HobbyKids Adventures and Ryan's World Specials, to e-Junior, Etisalat's top UAE kids TV channel through SVOD and Pay TV. In addition to programming, pocket.watch plans to roll out new consumer products from the Ryan's World, Ryan's Mystery Playdate and HobbyKids Adventures franchises within the territory in the second half of the year.
"We are delighted to continue to enhance our content offering by partnering with pocket.watch," said Humaid Rashid Sahoo, CEO, E-Vision. "Our e-Junior channel is the number one most watched kids' channel in the UAE and exclusively available on Etisalat's eLife TV. Bringing the latest and the best in kids' entertainment to the UAE complements our objective of delivering the best quality content to our e-Junior customers."
To help the studio reach an even larger global audience, pocket.watch will also expand its roster of creator partners, with the addition of Netherlands based creator JasonVlogs. Since launching in 2015, JasonVlog's massively popular YouTube channel has amassed over 5 billion lifetime views. Pocket.watch will replicate its successful creator-to-franchise business model by working alongside JasonVlogs to develop an animated series launching this year. Following the launch, the partners will extend the franchise into consumer products, games and more.
This announcement rounds out an exciting first month of 2020 for pocket.watch. In addition to global expansion, the company is in active discussions with distributors for its exclusive, premium slate of creator fueled content including animated series' EvanTube's Dollar Toy Squad and Onyx Monster Mysteries amongst others.
For more information on pocket.watch, its expansion, creators and its premium slate of content, please visit pocket.watch
About pocket.watch
Pocket.watch is a new studio that specializes in entertaining and inspiring kids and families through digital-first content and sparking their imaginations with lifestyle products ranging from toys to toothbrushes. The company inspires kids to seamlessly move between screen time and playtime and boasts a growing portfolio of franchises that includes some of the largest kids and family YouTube brands in the world. Pocket.watch developed and launched the massive Ryan's World® consumer products line and created and produces Ryan's Mystery Playdate, which airs on Nickelodeon and is the #1 preschool show on television. The company was founded in March 2017 by Chris M. Williams and is located in Culver City, CA where it maintains an office and studio. Its management team is made up of studio veterans and visionaries from traditional and digital entertainment including Albie Hecht, Stone Newman, Jon Moonves, Kerry Tucker and David B. WIlliams. Investors include Viacom, Greycroft, Third Wave Digital and United Talent Agency (UTA), as well as notable strategic angels including Robert Downey Jr. (Team Downey) and Jon Landau. For more information about pocket.watch, please visit pocket.watch.
About E-Vision
E-Vision, a wholly owned subsidiary of Etisalat, is a pioneer and trusted content aggregator in the region providing a comprehensive turnkey solution for content acquisition and management for IPTV platforms and multi-screen (OTT). E-Vision currently operates in the UAE, KSA, Egypt and Pakistan. Over the years, E-Vision has developed winning solutions, and capabilities to meet business partners in the field of TV channels licensing, video-on-demand acquisition, content strategy, video OTT solutions, 4K, hospitality and advertising.
For about two decades, E-Vision has partnered with the biggest names in the industry worldwide, and secured content for multiple Pay TV and OTT services from major Hollywood Studios, Bollywood and the latest Arabic productions as well as leading TV channel providers from around the globe.
From Kidscreen:
Pocket.watch goes global with new hire, partners
Former Disney exec Danny Spronz is leading the prodco's first international office, as the studio sends its content abroad and grows its lineup of creators.
Expanding its global reach, LA-based prodco Pocket.watch has opened its first international office. The company tapped former Disney VP Danny Spronz (pictured) to lead the new London-based office as managing director for EMEA.
Spronz started in the role this month and is responsible for all business operations, advertising sales, consumer products licensing and content sales in the region. Before joining Pocket.watch he worked as the VP of digital partnerships and influencer marketing for Walt Disney EMEA. He held that role for three years, and in that time he managed overall talent strategy, partnerships and management for the company’s on-screen and digital influencer talent.
Previously, he worked at the House of Mouse as its VP of international for Maker Studios, in charge of strategic partnerships and network, where his remit was to grow and manage the company’s network business across all international markets. Prior to his time at Disney, Spronz founded the digital content producer dot.talent in 2010, with the goal of building and monetizing the digital ecosystem around celebrity talent.
Pocket.watch has been busy growing across segments in the past year, including launching its first audio series, The Claw, in November. It also expanded the popular Ryan’s World YouTube channel (23.9 million subscribers). Last year the company launched a range of CP for the brand, including blind bag collectibles, slime, vehicles, plush and putty. Pocket.watch also brought Ryan’s World to linear TV with the launch of the live-action series Ryan’s Mystery Playdate on Nickelodeon, which was picked up for a second season shortly after its premiere.
Beyond UK growth, Pocket.watch is partnering with Middle East telecom operator Etisalat to bring the prodco’s programming—including Ryan’s Mystery Playdate, HobbyKids Adventures and Ryan’s World specials—to UAE kids TV channel e-junior, which is available as an SVOD service and pay-TV channel. Pocket.watch plans to roll out new consumer products from its Ryan’s World and HobbyKids franchises in the region later this year.
The studio is also growing its slate of creator partners, inking a deal with Netherlands-based digital influencer Jason Vlogs (9.3 million YouTube subscribers) to turn the popular digital star into a franchise with an animated series set to bow this year. The YouTube channel features vlog-style videos of a family and their adventures together. and since launching in 2015 it has reached more than two billion lifetime views. Following its franchise model, Pocket.watch will also expand the channel with consumer products and games following the launch of the animated series.
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More Nick: 'Ryan's Mystery Playdate' and 'Hobby Kids Adventures' Success Keys pocket.watch Slate Expansion!
Original source: PR Newswire.
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