Samsung TV Plus And Dhar Mann Partner, Debut Original Series

Samsung TV Plus is stepping into original scripted programming for the first time, and it’s going directly to the creator economy to do it. On Friday, the streaming service will debut the series Unlikely Romances, a four-part romance created by Dhar Mann, the YouTube and social media creator behind Dhar Mann Studios. The series will premiere exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, making it the first creator-led original content deal in the history of the platform. For Samsung TV Plus, an ad-supported streaming television (FAST) platform, the move signals a shift in content strategy. Like other FAST platforms, such as Roku, Tubi, and Pluto, Samsung TV Plus has relied primarily on catalog content and licensed material to fill its content slate. Now, that is beginning to change. Unlikely Romances joins a recently announced docuseries, which features Keanu Reeves, under its new Samsung TV Plus Exclusives banner. Going forward, the service plans to lean more heavily into original content, according to Takashi Nakano, its vice president of content and programming. "This is our first original series that we have commissioned that is scripted," Nakano said. "This is not a one-shot thing. This was our creator strategy by design. We see them as the potential future of TV." Crucially, the economics of working with a creator studio made the leap into originals more viable. Traditional scripted content at scale can run into the tens of millions per episode. Creator-built productions operate on a fundamentally different cost structure. That cost efficiency may be the most consequential part of the story for the broader FAST landscape. Other free streaming services have long eyed originals as a way to differentiate themselves, but have struggled to justify the price tag. FAST platforms, which do not have the benefit of added subscription revenue, have to operate sustainably on a smaller budget. If creator studios can deliver scripted content with a television look and feel at a fraction of traditional costs, it potentially unlocks a new production model for the category. "I don't have to spend $1 bazillion to make great programming," Takashi said. "As long as I can satisfy folks with the content that Dhar is creating, we all win." FOR Scoops, Sharp Analysis, and Insider Context By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . You may opt-out anytime by clicking 'unsubscribe' from the newsletter or from your account. Similarly, the move positions Samsung to further capitalize on its advantage as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Because Samsung builds and sells its own televisions, it has a distribution advantage over pure software players, like Netflix or Tubi, in that Samsung TV Plus comes pre-installed on Samsung TVs and in some cases uses the channel as its home screen. The move into original programming suggests that Samsung is taking steps to more seriously engage viewers with its content slate. For creators like Dhar Mann, partnering with streaming services in non-exclusive deals allows them to reach more audiences and bring in new lines of revenue, according to Sean Atkins, CEO of Dhar Mann Studios. It also reflects how consumers are increasingly consuming creator content on their living room televisions. "We knew that from our YouTube consumption, which is on the TV, that our audience thinks of our content as a TV moment," Atkins said. "There was a high overlap between our two audiences." The deal is structured as a “joint-success” model with a revenue-share component, according to Atkins, though specific financial terms were not disclosed. Dhar Mann Studios has a track record that makes the partnership viable on both sides. Mann, who has more than 170 million followers and has been named to the TIME100 Creators list, built his audience around emotionally driven, morally tidy short-form narratives. Such a format translates readily into the anthology structure of Unlikely Romances, which follows couples who seem mismatched on paper before circumstances force them to reconsider. Atkins described Dhar Mann Studios as "the largest scripted creator on YouTube" and Mann as the lighthouse figure for the genre, just as Mr. Beast is for competition games or Marc Rober is for science and engineering content. The partnership reflects a broader trend disrupting the entertainment industry, as Hollywood studios increasingly turn to creators as directors, screenwriters, and talent. Podcast talent has become a reliable pipeline for both content and built-in audiences, a playbook Netflix, Spotify, Tubi, and others have leaned into aggressively, signing deals to bring hit shows to their platforms. YouTube is now following a similar arc. The breakout success of the A24 film Backrooms, whose director, Kane Parsons, is a 20-year-old YouTube creator, is the latest example of Hollywood sourcing its talent from the creator ecosystem. "Dhar is not a YouTube creator—he is a creator at heart," Nakano said. "We are not looking for YouTube creators looking to transplant themselves onto TV. We are looking for creators at heart who want to use our platform to reach millions of people in their living rooms."

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Samsung TV Plus Partners With Dhar Mann Studios to Premiere Its First Original Series

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