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Universal Music Group announced a new partnership with Pocket.watch, a kids-content studio with a roster of 45 creators that boasts over 750 million subscribers, on Thursday (July 20).
As part of the deal, songs on Pocket.watch’s many YouTube videos — plus tracks from the company’s original series on Hulu and Roku — will be brought to streaming platforms. And several creators will release their own original songs in the months to come.
In a statement, Albie Hecht, chief content officer for Pocket.watch, said “music is a huge part of kids’ lives, and this mutually beneficial partnership provides a path for our expansive library of kids and family songs to reach beyond their appearance within YouTube videos. We’re proud to partner with Universal Music Group as they further expand their investment in the kids music space.”
“We continue to see growth in this exciting category and look forward to working with pocket.watch’s team and their family of creators,” added Andrew Kronfeld, Universal’s evp of international and label and artist ventures.
Pocket.watch was started in March 2017 by Chris M. Williams, Hecht (a former president of film and TV entertainment for Nickelodeon), and Jon Moonves. “We set out very intentionally to change the conversations around the creative economy and create a whole new digital-first category of franchises,” Williams told Variety last year.
The company’s hits include Ryan’s World (35.2 million YouTube subscribers) and Love, Diana (8.95 million); in 2021, the roster generated more than 4 billion hours of views. Pocket.watch also has a robust consumer products line — Colgate Ryan’s World Pocket Watch Extra Soft Spin toothbrush, for example, and Love, Diana dolls — linked to its various franchises. Earlier this year, Pocket.watch debuted 12 original series on Hulu.
The first batch of music to hit streaming will encompass songs from Ryan’s Mystery Playdate, Love, Diana, Onyx Monster Mysteries, Toys and Colors: Kaleidoscope City, and more.
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