Dhar Mann Studios (DMS) has built an empire of inspirational, scripted videos that resonate with millions online.

This year alone, their content has garnered 6.7 billion views, and the DMS brand currently boasts 120 million followers across platforms.

On September 24, the company appointed media veteran Sean Atkins as President and COO, setting its sights on bigger horizons.

Sean brings a wealth of experience from giants like MTV, Disney, HBO, and Yahoo to this digital-first powerhouse. His track record of building multi-million dollar businesses and producing hit content aligns well with DMS’s growth plans.

Under his leadership, the studio is expanding its content offerings and venturing into live events, merchandising, and strategic partnerships.

But how does Sean plan to maintain the studio’s authentic voice while scaling up operations? The man himself explains DMS’s unique value proposition, expansion strategies, and vision for the future of digital storytelling.

Growth Strategy

Sean notes that DMS’s growth strategy is firmly rooted in audience engagement and feedback.

“We’re running surveys with thousands of responses,” he explains. “We do huge community engagement. And so we think about growth through the lens of what our audience is looking for.”

This approach has led to innovative ideas for expansion.

“If I see a fan in the real world with Dhar and they run up to him, they’ll usually ask something like, ‘Would it be possible to be in a Dhar Mann show or would it be possible to see you do it live?'” Sean notes, adding that these interactions shape the company’s plans.

Dhar Mann Studios recently launched 5th Quarter Agency, a creator services business that works with top creators to leverage their IP to further monetize on YouTube. The agency helps other content creators monetize their existing libraries, applying lessons from DMS’s experiments across platforms.

“We’re creating a fifth quarter of revenue for creators that they didn’t have to do any extra work to achieve,” Sean says, explaining the agency’s name and mission. 

The service has attracted notable clients, including Jordan Matter, the Royalty Family, and Rebecca Zamolo.

Sean claims the agency can help creators earn “up to about six figures a month, sometimes more,” without additional time commitment or overhead.

Unique Value Proposition for Brand Partnerships

Dhar Mann Studios aims to be a premium, brand-safe environment for advertisers, leveraging its scripted content and diverse audience reach while addressing key concerns for chief marketing officers.

“We are scripted. We are premium,” Sean states. “We have very high CTV consumption, as seen in our YouTube metrics.”

The studio’s scale and audience demographics are additional draws. “We over-index with female, Hispanic, and African American [audiences]. So there is a huge value as a CMO looking for a partner to reach these hard-to-reach audiences,” Sean shares.

A key differentiator is the studio’s ability to produce custom-branded content quickly. 

“A brand could partner with us because we are scripted but also operate at a digital velocity,” Sean says. “And our team could write an episode about your product in an organic way.”

Recently, DMS partnered with Studio 71 and the Creative Artists Agency (CAA) to attract more brands. According to Sean, the company seeks “key marquee partners who really want always-on premium relationships. “

The studio’s extensive production facilities at its 100,000 SF production space in Burbank include a built-in mall set and offer unique opportunities for brand integration. 

“Depending on the deal, I just would never change it back. So, in every episode, somebody had to do shopping, whether it was related to [the brand] or not, the brand would have a visual presence,” Sean explains, highlighting the potential for long-term brand visibility in their content.

DMS’s Partnership With CAA

As part of the recently extended partnership with CAA, Dhar Mann Studios is broadening its horizons beyond digital content creation and exploring new live events, publishing, and merchandising ventures.

Sean explains the motivation behind this move: “We exist to serve the passions of our audiences, to bring them inspirational narrative content, or to make a positive impact.” 

The studio plans to leverage its popular characters and intellectual property to create new revenue streams. 

“They want the ability to take home a little piece of Dhar Mann,” Sean says. “Yes, they can watch it, but owning a shirt that says one of the great Dhar Mann sayings is special.”

While pursuing growth, Sean reveals that the company remains selective about potential acquisitions. 

“We’re only going to look at assets that align with our mission, audience, and values,” he states. 

DMS sees an opportunity to support the broader creator ecosystem through potential mergers and acquisitions. Sean believes this strategy could provide more stability for creators and unlock greater upside potential. 

“There’s a flywheel that when creators come together, their success drives one another’s success,” he explains.Sean points out a key advantage Dhar Mann Studios offers potential partners: “He’s managed to build a business with a passionate, engaged audience that does not require Dhar to be the face of the channel day in and day out.”

Scripted Content Expansion

DMS is poised for significant expansion in the coming year. Sean states that the company is pushing into more genres that its audience likes and through which they can deliver their inspirational message.

The studio plans to release at least six new series in twelve months, signaling a major push into varied content genres.

The company’s recent foray into seasonal content has already shown promise. 

“We started with a Halloween series special for our audience because they love Halloween, which we’re super excited about,” Sean says. 

The suspenseful 9-episode anthology series Secrets of the Shadows premieres October 21st, and new episodes will be released daily leading up to Halloween.

He notes that the trailer release for this series garnered “ten times the views of the next highest trailer we’ve ever done,” indicating strong audience engagement.

In addition to new content, DMS plans to bring back fan-favorite characters in a new series, which will be announced later in the year.

Sean also hints at a potential new business venture emerging from the company’s 5th Quarter Agency. 

“We’ll be doing scripted series with pretty well-known creators looking to expand into scripted as well,” he teases.