Dhar Mann Michael Kovac/The Hollywood Reporter/Getty Images Disney has struck a deal with digital powerhouse Dhar Mann Studios as the entertainment giant makes a bigger push into creator content.
The deal will see Dhar Mann, known for popular, short-form moral dramas on YouTube and elsewhere, produce 20 episodes of original content for Disney. The exact content of those episodes, and whether the episodes will be verticals, or otherwise, remains to be seen.
However, this comes as the company moves forward with its goal of turning Disney+ into “a comprehensive membership ecosystem,” which thus far includes a Hulu integration as well as new content. In March, the company launched its short-form vertical video product, Verts, on Disney+ and teased at the time that it would feature content from outside creators.
Earlier this month, Disney struck a deal with TikTok which will allow videos from Disney fans to play on both platforms.
Dhar Mann has 170 million followers globally and nearly 300 million views each week across platforms. The company also struck a deal earlier this year with Fox Entertainment for 40 narrative-driven vertical videos, underlining the growing demand among studios for this type of content.
“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.”
“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.”
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