Tubi is getting a Halloween release with a built-in audience. The Besties in Haunted High, a six-episode scripted series from next-gen creator company Pocket.watch, premieres globally on Oct. 28, Deadline reported on Sept. 29. It stars YouTube creators Mackenzie Turner and Lael Hansen and adapts their joint channel, The Besties.
The YouTube-to-streaming format
The show places Turner and Hansen at an empty school Halloween dance that becomes a nightmare: they are trapped inside, must complete six games and escape while a supernatural figure hunts them. It is a direct translation of a returning YouTube concept into a 30-minute ad-supported format.
The demand signal is measurable. Deadline puts the pair’s combined YouTube subscriber footprint at more than 13 million: 7.8 million for Turner, 1.9 million for Hansen and 3.3 million on The Besties.
- Global premiere: Oct. 28 on Tubi
- Format: six 30-minute episodes
- Combined YouTube subscribers: more than 13 million across Turner, Hansen and The Besties
- Executive producers: Turner, Albie Hecht and Chris M. Williams
Why a free window matters
Tubi is positioning the show as an access play. “The Besties in Haunted High is exactly the kind of storytelling that resonates with our audiences: authentic perspectives by creators that speak directly to their interests,” said Rich Bloom, General Manager, Creator Programs and EVP of Business Development at Tubi.
A free, ad-supported premiere removes a key conversion barrier for a young YouTube audience: there is no paywall between a fan and the show. For Tubi, the payoff is ad inventory attached to a pre-existing fandom and a seasonal Halloween hook.
A slate, not a one-off
Pocket.watch is treating creator originals as a pipeline. The company is in production on three other projects: Love Diana: Music Hunters with Kids Diana Show, set for Prime Video in January 2027 via Amazon MGM Studios; a JJ & Mikey holiday special with gaming duo Maizen; and Captain Future Pirate: Chedda Quest for Ryan and Friends Plus, Pocket.watch’s subscription service for kids.
Hecht, who is directing the Tubi series, framed it as a response to audience demand. Turner, he said, has built “one of the most engaged fanbases in the creator space,” and the show reflects “premium, scripted storytelling her audience has been asking for.”
What media planners should track
The subscriber count is a sampling engine, not the result. The useful test comes after premieres: how many YouTube fans cross over, how many finish the season and whether the title becomes repeat viewing on Tubi. Creator-led IP gets the first episode sampled; retention determines if it is a programming asset or a promotional event.
Source: Deadline
