In Conversation with Sean Atkins, CEO at Dhar Mann Studios

This is the written version of the above podcast summarised for quick reading. Presented in a transcript format, it captures the key insights from Sean Atkins, CEO of Dhar Mann Studios, in a crisp Q&A format.

Vitrina 1: What is the core mission and scale of Dhar Mann Studios today?

Sean Atkins:
Dhar Mann Studios was founded to create inspirational, family-safe scripted content that has a positive impact globally. We publish around five half-hour episodes weekly—this equates to approximately 200 hours of content annually. Everything is written, directed, and produced in-house within our 100,000-square-foot studio. Our shows span genres including romance, thrillers, biopics, historical fiction, and even Halloween “Goosebumps”-style episodes. With over 136 million followers and a billion monthly views across platforms, we are the largest scripted studio in the digital space.

Vitrina 2: How did Dhar Mann start, and what inspired its mission?

Sean Atkins:
Dhar’s personal journey is the foundation of the studio’s mission. He faced immense adversity—financial trouble, bad partnerships, brushes with the law. At one point, he was broke with $600 to his name. He rebuilt his life with his wife Laura, initially starting a beauty and cosmetics business. But Dhar felt compelled to give back. Inspired by stories of entrepreneurs and leaders overcoming adversity, he began making videos—not as a business, but to spread hope and resilience. During COVID, that message resonated deeply. Within a year, he was the #1 creator on Facebook and later #2 on YouTube, just behind MrBeast.

Vitrina 3: How is Dhar Mann Studios structured compared to traditional media companies?

Sean Atkins:
Structurally, we resemble traditional media companies with creative, production, and finance teams—but we’re vastly leaner. Think one-person HR departments instead of a hundred. We run like daytime TV or newsmagazines—focused on operational efficiency and tight deadlines. We’re vertically integrated: ideation, writing, producing, and distribution all happen internally. Our operation mirrors Hollywood’s 1920s model of tight, studio-controlled output. And creators here aren’t just writers or directors—they’re multi-hyphenates: writers, editors, marketers, and more.

Vitrina 4: How does Dhar Mann Studios achieve such production efficiency and scale?

Sean Atkins:
We produce scripted content—traditionally the hardest and most expensive form—at 1/50th to 1/100th the cost of traditional studios. Dhar himself has overseen the creation of over 2,000 episodes in just six years. The expectation is different. Digital content teams can be just two to four people. We began filming in Dhar and Laura’s apartment—transforming their bedroom into a hospital, kitchen into a café, and so on. During COVID, we moved to a warehouse studio that scaled from 10% usage to 66 sets and three main stages today, funded by advertising growth during the pandemic.

Vitrina 5: What revenue models support your business?

Sean Atkins:
Our main revenue comes from advertising—both platform-based (like AdSense from YouTube and Facebook) and direct ad deals. We also do branded integrations using our sets—homes, schools, garages, malls, even a jail. There’s almost nothing we can’t integrate. We have a branded entertainment agency called Fifth Quarter that helps other creators syndicate content and scale up. And we’re exploring DTC models—think Mark Rober’s Crunch Labs or MrBeast’s Jack Links partnership—as well as licensing and touring models.

Vitrina 6: What technologies and localization strategies are you using to go global?

Sean Atkins:
We dub into seven languages and have audiences worldwide—in India, the Philippines, and beyond. While most of our content is in English, we use a mix of traditional dubbing, tech-assisted dubbing, and AI tools. We expect platforms to eventually automate dubbing and mouth replacement entirely, allowing creators to upload a video and select languages instantly. That will drive exponential reach, especially for creators already seeing large global footprints but struggling with localization costs.

Vitrina 7: Are you exploring live entertainment and new formats?

Sean Atkins:
Yes, we’ve been looking at IRL brand extensions—fans want to see shows live, meet cast members, or even participate in reenactments. We’ve joined forces with touring companies to evaluate live experiences. We’re also expanding into FAST channels—starting with Samsung TV Plus—and podcasts. We’re hiring new executives to develop more genre-diverse scripted content. From thrillers to biopics, we’re expanding our presence across platforms with high-output, family-friendly formats.

Vitrina 8: How do you see the future of global expansion and partnership opportunities?

Sean Atkins:
Digital creators are global from day one, but monetization varies. India has massive English-speaking audiences but monetizes at 1/30th the U.S. rate. LATAM’s ad markets are also weak. That’s why we’re open to partnerships—like building Dhar Mann Studios in Dubai if local partners want to co-invest. We’re interested in equity-focused brand deals, not one-offs, and exploring original content deals with platforms like Hulu and Netflix. We’re also looking into M&A to grow our infrastructure and help other creators scale.

Vitrina 9: What’s your take on industry disruption and what’s broken in traditional media?

Sean Atkins:
The issue isn’t lack of content consumption—it’s the outdated economic models. The cable model was a double-revenue machine, but media companies broke it with worse experiences and no on-demand. Streaming came in, cable didn’t adapt fast enough. The cost structure of traditional media is unsustainable in a fragmented, niche-attention world. Bollywood, for example, is hyper-productive with vastly lower budgets. U.S. studios still chase $300M blockbusters. Audience expectations and attention have changed, but old incentives (bonuses, P&L pressure) prevent innovation.

Vitrina 10: What does the roadmap ahead look like for Dhar Mann Studios?

Sean Atkins:
We’re doubling down on what works: more great scripted content, more platforms, and more formats. Our core Facebook and YouTube channels are being revamped. We’re building podcasts, launching new genres, expanding FAST channels, and helping other creators via our Fifth Quarter agency. We’ll continue making mission-driven content that spans generations, while exploring strategic collaborations, partnerships, and acquisitions to grow the Dhar Mann ecosystem globally. We’re long on the creator economy. This isn’t a trend—it’s the future of media.