Disney deal with TikTok will let people use Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars characters to make videos

The Walt Disney Company and TikTok on Wednesday announced a deal that will allow content creators to make videos featuring characters from Disney brands such as Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars.

That short-form content will be shared across TikTok and on Vert, a vertical video feed on the Disney+ streaming app, the companies said in what they described as a "first-of-its-kind global deal." 

A pilot program for the videos will roll out in the coming months and then spread to other markets. TikTok creators will have access to a large library of Disney content, including hundreds of films and TV shows, the companies said. 

In a statement announcing the partnership, Asad Ayaz, chief marketing and brand officer for Disney, said the deal will give "creators a bigger stage to share what they've made, and audiences more to discover on Disney+ every day."

The deal highlights the growing importance of user-created content in entertainment. For Disney, it presents an opportunity to expand its audience and drive online engagement, particularly among younger Americans. In a May call with Wall Street analysts, Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro said short-form content is something the company is "actively leaning into."

"Short-form and creative content, they've exploded in the past few years," he told investors. "And it's an area we're focused on because we have deeply committed fans who — they love our brands and our franchises and characters, and they want to engage with them in this new way. And this is specifically important when we think about Gen Alpha, obviously the newest generation of Disney fans."

The new partnership could also boost TikTok by offering access to content from a popular entertainment brand.

Disney struck a licensing deal with OpenAI last year that allowed users of the Sora AI video app to create videos featuring Disney characters. However, OpenAI scrapped Sora earlier this year.