What Samsung TV Plus ordered
Samsung TV Plus has greenlit Unlikely Families, a four-part scripted anthology from Dhar Mann Studios for its Exclusives strand. The free ad-supported streaming service unveiled the order at Mipcom and set the premiere for 2027.
It is the second title in the Unlikely anthology after Unlikely Romances, which the platform released with the studio earlier in the summer. Each episode of the new series follows an unconventional caregiver and a child brought together by circumstance. Dhar Mann created the series, is an executive producer, and is credited as a writer.
The number behind the order
Samsung TV Plus is not buying an unknown producer. The platform said Mann’s channels have more than 170 million followers and about 300 million weekly views across platforms. That scale is the strategic point: a FAST service can license a library, but an exclusive original from a creator with that reach brings a sampling engine with it.
Mann framed the show as stories about unexpected connections, second chances and the people who remind us that we are not alone. Sean Atkins, CEO of Dhar Mann Studios, was also at the Mipcom presentation.
Why FAST is moving into creator-led exclusives
The order extends a 2025 deal that put an exclusive Dhar Mann TV channel on Samsung TV Plus, which Samsung described as its first original content arrangement. The platform’s originals slate already includes Hooligans: The ARCH Racing Project, made with Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger.
Salek Brodsky, senior VP and global head of Samsung TV Plus, said the service wants creator-led programming that feels fresh, meaningful and made for today’s audiences. Samsung TV Plus reports more than 100 million monthly active users and more than 5,000 ad-supported linear channels across 30 countries.
For the screen business, the move shows how free ad-supported streaming is shifting from aggregating old seasons to ordering exclusive, personality-driven formats. The bet is that a creator’s weekly audience can lower acquisition cost and give advertisers a known reach story.
- 4 episodes: scripted anthology, 2027 exclusive on Samsung TV Plus.
- 170M+ followers and about 300M weekly views: the creator reach Samsung is renting.
- 100M MAU and 5,000+ channels: the platform’s distribution base for the exclusive.
What to watch next
Media buyers should track how Samsung packages the 2027 premiere for sponsors and whether the viewership data is released. The real question is whether creator reach converts into FAST ad impressions at the same rate as social video views. If Samsung shares performance, it becomes a useful case for creator-led originals across other free streaming platforms. If it does not, the industry will still have a template for commissioning around reach, not just IP.
Source: C21media
