Pocket.watch Plans Global Expansion Of Emmy-Nominated 'Ryan's Mystery Playdate,' Announces Fourth Season Pickup Amid Strong Domestic & International Ratings
Hit American Series for Preschoolers to Debut in Germany, Adds New Mobile Game 'Blast'
LOS ANGELES, June 26, 2020 -- Pocket.watch, the studio behind global franchises from the YouTube stars and characters loved by Generation Alpha, today unveiled plans to expand hit kids TV series Ryan's Mystery Playdate to international markets, beginning with Amazon FreeTime Unlimited in Germany. Pocket.watch's gaming division, p.w Games will also be launching a new Ryan's Mystery Playdate-themed mobile game called "Blast." The studio also revealed the hit show for preschoolers -- on the heels of the show's Emmy nomination for Outstanding Preschool Children's Series -- has been picked up for a fourth season by Nickelodeon amid strong ratings throughout the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.
Eight-year-old YouTube phenom Ryan Kaji, who counts 26 million subscribers and nabs upwards of 750 million monthly views on his Ryan’s World YouTube channel, headlines the live-action linear show with his parents, where they take part in various physical challenges and puzzles.
"We're thrilled to be deepening our partnership with Amazon to bring Ryan's Mystery Playdate to kids and families on a global level," said Thanda Belker, senior vice president of distribution at pocket.watch. "As we continue to further our mission to be everywhere kids and families are, Ryan's Mystery Playdate has continued to prove the success of a creator-focused franchise, with unlimited viability across platforms including TV and games."
Ryan's Mystery Playdate seasons 1 and 2 will be available for the first time in Germany starting July 2020 in English and Aug. 2020 in German on the Amazon FreeTime Unlimited streaming services, with Season 3 becoming available in Oct. 2020.
"We are excited to bring Ryan's Mystery Playdate to Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, our service that delivers premium, fun, and educational content for kids," said Kurt Beidler, general manager of Amazon Kids & Family. "Kids around the world love following along on Ryan's adventures, and we're pleased to offer more of that content to families in Germany."
Pocket.watch will also continue its focus on reaching audiences digitally via second screens, with the new free Ryan's Mystery Playdate-themed mobile game "Blast," which allows fans to join Ryan in discovering the next mystery playdate by solving fun puzzles. Players will match colors, earn power-ups, and blast through each level to unlock new guests -- like a firefighter, nurse, chef, martial artist, and more -- and collect them in a guest book. The game will tie in familiar elements of the popular TV show, such as unlocking mystery boxes, spinning the mystery wheel, and dropping the "hintamajig," and will launch this fall through pocket.watch's gaming division p.w Games.
Finally, Nickelodeon has ordered a 10-episode fourth season of Ryan's Mystery Playdate. Although, for the new season, certain segments appear to have been retooled in order to accommodate current COVID-19 (coronavirus) protocols. This new season will feature a Playdate Command Center which uses video teleconferencing technology, giving Playdate guests the ability to play a game or engage in an activity with Ryan remotely. Additionally, some season four Playdates will be animated, allowing viewers to travel with current and historic characters to unlimited locations, even in different time periods.
Since its launch in April 2019, Ryan's Mystery Playdate has reached over 33 million total viewers across Nickelodeon and the Nick Jr. channel. The series also ranks No. 1 in its time slot on Treehouse in Canada, across all 11 Canadian kids' networks measured and saw a +45 percent audience increase in April 2020. Similarly, it ranks No. 1 on Treehouse VOD.
For more information on pocket.watch, its expansion, creators, and its premium slate of content, please visit pocket.watch.
About pocket.watch
Pocket.watch is a new studio that specializes in entertaining and inspiring kids and families through digital-first content and sparking their imaginations with lifestyle products ranging from toys to toothbrushes. The company inspires kids to seamlessly move between screen time and playtime and boasts a growing portfolio of franchises that includes some of the largest kids and family YouTube brands in the world. Pocket.watch is the exclusive studio partner for the Ryan's World franchise and created and produces the Emmy-nominated television series Ryan's Mystery Playdate, which airs on Nickelodeon and is the #1 preschool show on television. Pocket.watch's newest brand, Love, Diana, based on the #3 YouTube channel in the world, Kids Diana Show, debuts in October 2020. The company was founded in March 2017 by Chris M. Williams and is located in Culver City, CA where it maintains an office and studio. Its management team is made up of studio veterans and visionaries from traditional and digital entertainment including Albie Hecht, Stone Newman, Jon Moonves, Kerry Tucker and David B. Williams. Investors include Viacom, Greycroft, Third Wave Digital and United Talent Agency (UTA), as well as notable strategic angels including Robert Downey Jr. (Team Downey) and Jon Landau. For more information about pocket.watch, please visit pocket.watch.
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H/T: The Toy Book; Additional source: Tubefilter.
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