INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
When Chris Williams founded entertainment platform Pocketwatch in 2017, he was certain that no one had yet found the right way to work with
the generation of children talent finding its audience on platforms like YouTube.
Convinced that packaging creators under one umbrella and
leveraging the expanding reach of even more media platforms could reshape the way children content was produced, the former Maker Studios
and Disney executive launched his company to offer emerging social media talent more avenues to create entertainment that resonates with
young audiences.
On the back of the breakout success of Ryan World, a YouTube channel which counted 33.6 billion views and more than 22
million subscribers as of early November, it appears that Williams was on the right track
As he looks out at the children media landscape today, Williams says he sees the same forces at work that compelled him to create the
business in the first place
If anything, he says, the trends are only accelerating.
The first is the exodus of children from traditional linear viewing platforms to
The rise of subscription streaming services, including Disney+, HBO Max and Apple Plus — combined with the continued demand for new
children programming on Netflix — is creating a bigger market for children programming.
&If you&re a subscription-based service, what
kids& content does for you is it prevents churn,& says Williams.
That drawing attention from new, ad-supported streaming providers like the
Roku Channel, PlutoTV and SamsungTV Plus, which are also thirsty for children storytelling
Williams says he sees fertile ground for new programming among the ad-based, video-on-demand services
&Kids and family content tends to be the most highly engaging that creates consumption in homes
That creates a lot of opportunities for advertisers.&
The Roku Channel and Viacom PlutoTV service show that there still demand for
ad-supported, on-demand alternatives that are more curated than just YouTube
It a potential opportunity for more startups, as well as an opportunity for studios looking to pitch their talent and programming.
&When
we&ve launched a new 24-7 video channel and AVOD library and omni services… [we] know that content is surrounded by other premium
content,& says Williams.
For all of the opportunities these new platforms bring, Williams says YouTube isn&t going anywhere as one of the
dominant new forces in children entertainment, despite its many, many woes
In fact, one of Williams& new initiatives at Pocketwatch is predicated on changes that YouTube is seemingly making in terms of the
programming that it promotes with its algorithms.
