Disney, TikTok sign global content-sharing deal for creator videos

The Walt Disney Company and TikTok announced Wednesday a global content-sharing agreement that will allow participating creators to produce short-form videos using scenes and other material from Disney films and television shows.

The program will initially be tested in the US in the coming months before expanding to other markets, the companies said in a joint announcement.

TikTok will provide creators with access to assets related to hundreds of productions from Disney’s extensive content library.

Participating creators who opt into the program will be able to use characters, scenes and stories from brands and franchises including Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and FX.

Their videos will be published on TikTok and included in a curated feed on Verts, the vertical-video feature within the Disney+ mobile application.

The content displayed on Disney+ will be refreshed regularly to reflect current fan discussions and encourage subscribers to explore more of the company’s films and television programs.

Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.

“The best storytellers are fans first,” said Disney Chief Marketing and Brand Officer Asad Ayaz.

“This collaboration creates a new bridge between the stories we tell and the creativity they inspire,” he added.

TikTok Global Head of Entertainment Dawn Yang said creators helped extend the life of films and television shows by turning them into discussions that other fans could discover and share.

“Together with Disney, we’re bringing the authentic creator expression of the TikTok community to Disney+,” she said.

Ambassador program for creators

The companies will also establish a jointly managed Disney Creator Ambassador Program.

Selected creators will receive greater visibility, access to exclusive events, career development opportunities and other rewards, according to the announcement.

Disney and TikTok said fan-created videos were playing an increasingly important role in how audiences discover and engage with entertainment.

TikTok’s internal data showed that users shared an average of 6.5 million film- and television-related posts on the platform each day last year.

Nearly half of the viewers included in a separate survey said they later watched a film or television program after discovering related content on TikTok.

Disney launched Verts for Disney+ subscribers in the US in March as a mobile-first vertical feed.

The feature initially allowed users to swipe through scenes from Disney+ productions, add titles to their watchlists or begin watching the full program directly.

Disney said at the time that it planned to expand Verts beyond content discovery by introducing creator-produced videos and additional short-form formats.