Disney has struck a content partnership with Burbank-based Dhar Mann Studios, kicking off with a 20-episode order for youth- and family-oriented programming across Disney’s platforms, per Variety. Format, title, platform placement, release timing and financial terms were not disclosed.

“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 of The Walt Disney Company, and Debra O’Connell, Chairman of 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.”

Dhar Mann Studios says it draws more than 170 million followers globally and nearly 300 million weekly views across platforms with what it calls “uplifting, relatable stories rooted in universal experiences.” Founder Dhar Mann called the deal personal. “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,” he said. “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.”

The deal lands as Disney has been building out its creator and short-form strategy specifically to reach Gen Alpha. During his first earnings call as CEO, Josh D’Amaro said Disney+’s vertical-video feed, Verts, is “already driving deeper engagement” with the company’s IP, and pointed to the “Creator Collection,” a catalog of creator-produced content tied to franchise releases including “Predator: Badlands” and the live-action “Lilo & Stitch,” as an area Disney would expand “in the months ahead.” At D23 this month, Disney executives said roughly 40% of Disney+ mobile users have interacted with Verts since its March launch, and that the company is exploring ways to extend the feed into creator communities and original storytelling.

Dhar Mann Studios operates out of a three-stage, 125,000-square-foot production facility in Burbank. Its existing partnerships include Adobe, the NFL and Gap, along with a FAST channel on Samsung TV Plus that the company describes as that platform’s first creator-led original content deal, plus a vertical-video slate with Fox Entertainment.

Mann framed the arrangement as a culmination of that direct-audience approach meeting Disney’s storytelling scale. “We’ve spent years building a direct relationship with our audiences and learning what makes them laugh, cry, share and, most importantly, feel seen,” he said. “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.”

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