Maizen’s JJ & Mikey Moves From YouTube Gaming To Global Franchise In Pocket.watch Deal
Pocket.watch and Maizen are turning JJ & Mikey, the animated duo from Maizen’s YouTube gaming channel, into a global children’s franchise spanning streaming distribution, publishing, toys, consumer products, and original content.
The partnership, announced May 12, expands a creator-led property that began as scripted “Minecraft” gameplay into traditional entertainment and retail channels.
This summer, Pocket.watch will begin distributing the JJ & Mikey series on Tubi, The Roku Channel, and Ryan and Friends Plus. The rollout extends the characters beyond YouTube into ad-supported streaming and subscription distribution.
Books and Toys Planned for 2027
Scholastic, a children’s books publisher and distributor, has signed on as a publishing partner to produce a series of JJ & Mikey children’s books, with retail availability planned for early 2027.
Michael Petranek, Editorial Director at Scholastic Trade Publishing, said the company is focused on bringing the characters to new readers. “This partnership with pocket.watch reflects our continued focus on meeting kids where their interests lie, and we look forward to translating these beloved digital characters into engaging, high-quality storytelling experiences that inspire a lifelong love of reading,” Petranek said.
Bonkers Toys will serve as the master toy licensee, extending an existing relationship with pocket.watch around creator-led children’s franchises. The toy company previously worked with pocket.watch on Ryan’s World and other digital-first properties, including LankyBox, Aphmau, Ninja Kids, and Toys and Colors.
For JJ & Mikey, Bonkers will lead product development on an initial assortment that includes plushies, blind-box collectibles, and other formats. The toys are scheduled to launch across major retailers in spring 2027.
From Gaming Channel to Children’s Franchise
Amanda Klecker, SVP of Marketing and Franchise at pocket.watch, framed the expansion as a way to extend the channel’s existing storylines across new formats. “Families will have the opportunity to follow storylines to new platforms and publishing, and continue narratives with their own imaginations through new toys,” Klecker said.
The Maizen team described the deal as a progression from the channel’s origins in gaming content. “What started as gameplay storytelling is evolving into a full-scale entertainment brand,” the team said. “We’re excited to partner with pocket.watch to deepen how fans experience these characters in their everyday lives.”
The partnership extends pocket.watch’s model of packaging children’s creator channels into broader entertainment franchises, combining platform-native audiences with traditional distribution, publishing, licensing, and retail infrastructure.
Pocket.watch’s Creator Roster
JJ & Mikey joins a pocket.watch creator portfolio that includes Ryan’s World, Topper Guild, Tyler and Snowi, Lively Lewis, Toys and Colors, and Mackenzie Turner.
The company says its 68 creator partners collectively hold 1.5 billion subscribers and have generated more than 1 trillion lifetime views. Pocket.watch distributes content across more than 43 platforms globally, positioning the Maizen deal as part of a broader strategy to turn creator-led children’s entertainment properties into multi-format franchises.
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