Digital creator and entrepreneur Dhar Mann is set to headline MIPCOM Cannes 2026 in a new pre-opening session focused on the growing role of creators in the global entertainment business.
Mann, Founder of Dhar Mann Studios, will appear alongside CEO Sean Atkins at the Grand Auditorium of the Palais des Festivals on October 11 at 17:00. The session will examine how creator-led companies are building global IP, engaging large communities and developing partnerships with traditional entertainment players and brands.
Lucy Smith, Director of MIPCOM CANNES said:
“Dhar Mann Studios is a powerful example of how creator-led businesses are reshaping the global entertainment industry. Bringing Dhar and Sean to our main stage reflects MIPCOM’s role in bringing together the established entertainment business with the creators, platforms and new models shaping its future.”
Dhar Mann, Founder of Dhar Mann Studios, said:
“Creators are building audiences at a scale that used to be possible only through traditional media, but what’s most exciting is when we turn that connection into franchises, new formats and partnerships that can travel around the world. Sean and I are looking forward to coming to Cannes and sharing what we’ve learned scaling Dhar Mann Studios, and why we believe the future of entertainment will be shaped by creators and the traditional industry working much more closely together.”
How Is Dhar Mann Expanding Beyond Social Media?
With more than 170 million followers and nearly 300 million weekly views, Mann has built a large-scale production business around short-form, values-driven storytelling. Dhar Mann Studios operates from a three-stage facility in Burbank and is increasingly moving its content and IP into the wider entertainment ecosystem.
The company has struck partnerships with brands and platforms including Adobe, the NFL, Microsoft, Gap Inc., Disney, Samsung TV Plus and FOX Entertainment. Its latest expansion includes a 20-episode Disney content deal and a 40-title vertical video slate with FOX.
MIPCOM Cannes 2026 runs from October 11–15 in Cannes, bringing together broadcasters, producers, platforms, creators and brands from across the international entertainment industry.
