With one billion monthly views under its belt, kids content startup Pocket.watch has announced partnerships with top YouTube creators EvanTube and CaptainSparklez, while also tapping former Disney Interactive exec Bruce Gordon as CFO. The L.A.-based company has also secured a children’s book publishing deal with Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing imprint, Simon Spotlight.
Since launching six years ago, EvanTube has amassed more than five billion lifetime views and nine million subscribers across its portfolio of kids and family channels including EvanTubeHD, JillianTubeHD and EvanTubeGaming. Jordan Maron’s CaptainSparklez gaming entertainment channel, meanwhile, has generated more than 10 million subscribers and three billion views in its seven-year lifespan.
The YouTube creators join Pocket.watch as the company has surpassed one billion monthly views across 20 YouTube channels in just six months, with a combined subscriber base of more than 34 million.
Pocket.watch also recently inked a kids animation deal with creator Butch Hartman and entered a long-term partnership with hugely popular YouTube channel Ryan Toys Review, which just placed second behind Vlad CrazyShow in the highest kids’ digital viewing time across YouTube last month, according to online data analyst Tubular Labs.
In terms of internal growth, Gordon marks the latest executive hire for the startup. He spent the last 10 years of his 30-year Disney career as CFO of Disney Interactive, and joins an executive team that includes CEO Chris M. Williams, CCO Albie Hecht, Hollywood entertainment lawyer Jon Moonves and CRO Stone Newman.
As for new advisors, ex-Disney TV animation president Barry Blumberg, former Video Genome Project COO Kerry Tucker, former Endemol Beyond US chief social media officer Jacob Shwirtz, ex-Vertical Networks president Greg Clayman and former Skybound Interactive president Jon Goldman have also been welcomed into the fold at Pocket.watch.