Aiming to bring its content to new platforms, LA-based pocket.watch has hired former Group Nine Studios SVP Jeff Siegel (pictured) as its global head of content distribution.

Based in New York and reporting to pocket.watch’s founder and CEO Chris Williams, Siegel joined the studio last month and will oversee worldwide sales of its catalogue. This includes series from its stable of YouTube creators, such as Kids Diana Show Ultimate Mishmash (15 x 22 minutes), Jason Vlogs and The Do Crew (24 x 11 minutes) and The Stella Show (84 x five minutes). 

Additionally, Siegel will work with pocket.watch’s chief content officer, Albie Hecht, to close distribution deals for the studio’s first feature film, Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure, which is set to hit theaters in 2024. Sunlight Entertainment (owned by kidfluencer Ryan Kaji’s family) is co-producing the animated/live-action film in which 12-year-old Ryan has to rescue his younger sisters, who have been sucked into a comic book.

Siegel has more than 25 years of content distribution experience under his belt. Previously, he worked at New York-based prodco Group Nine Studios as SVP of program sales and strategy, where he helped sell the company’s first original docuseries Izzy’s Koala World to Netflix. Prior to Group Nine, Siegel worked at Verizon Communications’ Go90 mobile video service and digital company DEFY Media, managing both companies’ international distribution business.