The Walt Disney Company and TikTok have inked what they are calling a first-of-its-kind global content sharing deal that will give fans and creators a new way to discover and create content utilizing memorable scenes and moments from Disney movies and shows.
The agreement, which will pilot in the US in the coming months with plans for other markets to follow, will bring an expansive collection of what the two companies are calling a “thoughtfully curated Disney-centric fan-created content” from TikTok to the Disney+ app.
At launch, short-form videos from participating creators who opt-in to the program will be live on both TikTok and in Verts on Disney+ and feature characters and stories from across Disney’s brands including Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, FX and more.
The deal comes at a time when media companies are scrambling to expand their offerings of vertical video and short form video content, which dominate viewing on social media. It also represents a notable embrace of fan created content by Disney, a major media company that has a long history of suing creators who use their brands, and is part of a ongoing push by Disney to expand its connections to the creator economy.
In March, Disney announced a vertical video offering called Verts.
As part of the new deal, TikTok will offer their creators access to assets related to hundreds of films and series from Disney’s vast library of enduring franchises and popular IP. Fans will enjoy a shared Disney experience with TikTok videos that will be refreshed regularly to engage subscribers more deeply in timely fan conversations, building stronger communities, and ultimately, helping them engage with more story formats across Disney+.
“The best storytellers are fans first,” said Asad Ayaz, chief marketing and brand officer, The Walt Disney Company. “That has always been true at Disney, and today, fans are celebrating our stories in entirely new ways. This collaboration creates a new bridge between the stories we tell and the creativity they inspire, giving creators a bigger stage to share what they’ve made, and audiences more to discover on Disney+ every day.”
“Creators are at the heart of everything we do at TikTok. Their creativity extends the life of films and shows into conversations that fans discover and share,” added Dawn Yang, global head of entertainment, TikTok. “Together with Disney, we’re bringing the authentic creator expression of the TikTok community to Disney+, inviting audiences to experience the shared creativity that makes fandom so powerful.”
Through the jointly-run Disney Creator Ambassador Program, Disney and TikTok also reported that they will work to help creators to unlock special rewards and provide them with increased visibility, access to exclusive events and career development pathways.
Disney said that this tiered program reflects its commitment to building relationships with the next generation of creative talent in partnership with TikTok.
In announcing the deal, Disney noted that fan-created content continues to play an increasingly important role in how audiences discover, engage and celebrate entertainment.
According to internal TikTok data, fans shared an average of 6.5 million film and TV-related posts on TikTok each day last year, underscoring the depth and daily momentum of entertainment fandom on the platform. Additionally, nearly half of surveyed viewers said they went on to watch a movie or TV show on a streaming service or television after discovering entertainment content on TikTok.
