The Rise of Creator Content on Streaming Platforms
Pocket.watch, a leading force in the creation of content for children, is set to unveil 12 new shows across Hulu and other streaming services. This move marks a significant shift in how creator content is being embraced by mainstream platforms, especially as Gen Alpha continues to favor YouTube over traditional media.
Streaming services are increasingly recognizing the value of content created by YouTubers, hoping to attract younger audiences who have grown up consuming digital media. Pocket.watch, known for its work with popular kids’ channels like Ryan’s World and Love, Diana, is expanding its reach by launching these new shows on platforms such as Disney’s Hulu, Amazon’s Prime Video, and Fox’s Tubi.
This initiative is part of a broader strategy by Pocket.watch to cater to older audiences as its original young kid demographic matures. The new shows are compilations of content from various YouTubers, each featuring in “Rabbit Hole,” an original series inspired by Saturday Night Live, set to debut on Hulu this summer.
Blurring Lines Between YouTube and TV
The distinction between YouTube and television is becoming increasingly blurred. Streaming giants like Netflix are licensing shows from YouTubers such as Ms. Rachel and Mark Rober, while YouTube itself is encouraging creators to produce more TV-like content. This trend highlights a growing recognition of the potential of creator-driven content.
One of the new Pocket.watch shows, “Jesser: Ball or Nothing,” features a basketball creator pitting athletes and influencers against each other in sports competitions with $10,000 prizes. Another show, “Zhong: Creator Essentials,” sees a comedian embarking on quirky challenges, such as using extreme camouflage to blend into public spaces.
Pocket.watch CEO Chris Williams described the company’s approach as a way to complement “Rabbit Hole,” similar to how reunion specials for properties like “Harry Potter” and “Friends” encourage viewers to revisit the entire catalog. “I think of it as, come for the original, stay for the library,” he said.
Streamers’ Efforts to Capture YouTube’s Audience
Pocket.watch has long believed that the popularity of YouTube shows can translate to other platforms. This belief is gaining traction as paid streamers rush to sign on stars like The Sidemen and Salish Matter. Williams noted that it has taken time for platforms to recognize the value of creator content and its specific audience.
“To a certain extent, platforms had traditionally associated production value with quality when those things aren’t necessarily the same,” he added. For the 12 new “Rabbit Hole”-related shows, Pocket.watch delved into the creators’ back catalogs to create a series of 15 half-hour episodes. These videos had to meet streamers’ standards and feel evergreen, requiring the removal of YouTube-specific elements like subscribe buttons, clearing music rights, and creating new logos and graphics.
“We’re really turning it into TV,” Williams said.
In addition to its “Rabbit Hole” slate, Pocket.watch is developing a set of five to 10 originals focused on teens and young adults.
YouTubers Achieving Crossover Success
Pocket.watch hopes that exposure on prestigious streamers like Hulu will help creators grow their brands and expand into other areas, such as consumer products. The company aims to replicate its success with the launch of “Ryan’s Mystery Play Date” on Nickelodeon alongside a new line of Ryan products.
Having a creator series next to a tile for a Hollywood hit like “Only Murders in the Building” changes how they are perceived. “It makes them more than just a YouTuber and now a true media brand,” Williams said.
Some YouTubers have already achieved crossover success, such as Mark Rober and Ms. Rachel on Netflix, and Pocket.watch’s Ryan and Diana shows on Hulu. However, it remains unclear whether placing creators on these paid streamers will alter Gen Alpha’s preference for YouTube.
