Dhar Mann had a Crazy Week (feat. his Chief Strategy Officer, Ross Habif)

Jan 30, 2026

37:36

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It might be the biggest week in Dhar Mann’s history.

From signing a massive 40-film deal with Fox to partnering with the NFL as their Chief Kindness Officer, Dhar Mann is rewriting the rules of the creator economy. In this episode, we sit down with Ross Habif, Chief Strategy Officer at Dhar Mann Studios, to break down exactly how these deals happened and what they mean for the future of vertical cinema.

We also cover the other massive headlines from the week including the sale of TikTok’s US operations to Oracle, Khaby Lame's exit, and how creators are taking over off Broadway.

What we cover:

-- The "Crazy Week" Explained: Inside the 40-film deal with Fox & Holywater.

-- NFL x Dhar Mann: What a "Chief Kindness Officer" actually does.

-- Strategy Deep Dive: Why Dhar Mann chose Fox

-- TikTok’s New Owner: What the Oracle sale means for your algorithm.

-- The Creator (on) Stage: Madison Weaver on bringing creators to Broadway.

00:00 Intro: Super Bowl Plans & Football Banter

01:20 MrBeast x Salesforce: The "Build in Public" Super Bowl Ad

03:59 The Evolution of "Making Of" Content (Project Greenlight to YouTube)

07:47 Breaking: TikTok US Operations Sold to Oracle

10:53 What Beijing Still Controls (Algorithms & Ads)

11:52 Is the New "US TikTok" Suppressing Content?

17:00 Google & Meta Go on Trial for Child Safety

18:25 Interview: Ross Habif (Dhar Mann Studios)

18:43 Inside the 40-Film Deal with Fox & Holywater

24:44 Retaining 100% Creative Autonomy

25:04 Dhar Mann: The NFL's "Chief Kindness Officer"

26:47 Interview: Madison Weaver (The Creator Society)

27:25 From TikTok to Off-Broadway: The Story of "11 to Midnight"

34:11 Khaby Lame's $975 Million Business Move

Creator Upload is your creator economy podcast, hosted by Lauren Schnipper and Joshua Cohen.