The Walt Disney Company today announced a new original content deal with popular scripted creator Dhar Mann. The agreement calls for an initial 20-episode order to be produced by Dhar Mann Studios for Disney. The content will be crafted for kids, tweens, teens and families.
Dhar Mann Studios has built one of the world’s largest digital audiences, with more than 170 million followers globally and nearly 300 million views each week across platforms. Recent videos posted to the company’s YouTube channel include those with titles such as “Girl Abandons Family After Getting Fame” and “Teacher Catches Teens Bullying Roblox Player.”
“Dhar has built a distinctive voice and an enormous global following, with stories that are uniquely his own,” said Asad Ayaz, Chief Marketing and Brand Officer, The Walt Disney Company, and Debra OConnell, Chairman, Disney Entertainment Television, 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.”
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Mann struck a similar pact with Fox Entertainment in January. That one calls for an initial slate of 40 individual narrative videos. Dhar Mann Studios has also worked with brands like Adobe, the NFL, and Gap. It produces original programming for distribution partners including Samsung TV Plus, where it has a FAST channel.
The creator said the Disney deal has special meaning, however.
“For me, this is so much bigger than a content deal,” said Dhar Mann, founder of Dhar Mann Studios. “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.”
Mann continued, “We’ve spent years building a direct relationship with our audiences and learning what makes them laugh, cry, share and, most importantly, feel seen. Disney has spent generations creating stories and characters that become part of people’s lives. Bringing those two worlds together gives us an opportunity to dream much bigger about what these stories can become, where they can go and how many people they can impact.”
