Pocket.Watch Taps Spronz for International Expansion

Digital kids programmer pocket.watch said it is expanding internationally and has hired former Walt Disney Co. exec Danny Spronz as managing director EMEA.

Spronz, previously VP, digital partnerships and influencer marketing at Disney EMEA, will be based in London at the first international location  for pocket.watch, which turns YouTube stars into TV franchises.

“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 Spronz. “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 has reached a deal with Etisalat, a telecom operator in the Middle East, to rollout pocket.watch programming, including Ryan’s World and HobbyKids Adventures on Etisalat’s kids TV channel in the United Arab Emirates.

“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.”

Pocket.watch also said it added JasonVlogs to its roster of creators. Based in the Netherlands, JasonVlogs has garnered more than 5 billion views since launching in 2015.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.