The Walt Disney Company has struck an original content deal with Dhar Mann Studios, marking the latest partnership between a major entertainment group and a digital-first creator business.
Under the agreement, Dhar Mann Studios will produce an initial 20 episodes for Disney, aimed at children, tweens, teenagers and families. Further details, including the format, length and distribution of the programming, have yet to be announced.
Dhar Mann has built a substantial audience around scripted, message-led dramas distributed primarily through YouTube and social platforms. His company claims more than 170 million followers globally and nearly 300 million weekly views across platforms, while its main YouTube channel has 28 million subscribers.
“Dhar has built a distinctive voice and an enormous global following, with stories that are uniquely his own,” said Disney chief marketing and brand officer Asad Ayaz and Disney Entertainment Television chairman Debra OConnell in a joint statement. “He and his team have forged an extraordinary connection with their audience, and we believe their optimistic, deeply relatable storytelling will connect in a meaningful way with Disney fans.”
The deal comes as Disney expands its use of creator-led and short-form programming. Disney+ launched vertical video feed Verts earlier this year, while its Creator Collection brings creator-made horizontal content to Disney+ and Hulu.
Dhar Mann Studios CEO Sean Atkins described the partnership on LinkedIn as bringing together “two Burbank companies” from different generations of media. “Those are different models, different histories, different operating systems. But they are not in conflict,” he said.
The agreement adds to Dhar Mann Studios’ growing range of relationships beyond YouTube. The company previously secured a 40-video vertical content deal with Fox Entertainment and Holywater and produces original programming for Samsung TV Plus, where it operates its own FAST channel. It has also worked with brands including Adobe, the NFL and Gap.
“For me, this is so much bigger than a content deal,” said Mann. “I grew up with Disney stories. Now I get to experience that same magic through the eyes of my own family, and the idea that we now have the opportunity to create stories for Disney for the next generation is incredibly meaningful to me.”
