Disney Taps TikTok for Endless Fan-Made Content

Disney has announced a new partnership with TikTok to bring fan-made videos featuring Disney characters to its streaming service, Disney+. The deal will allow 'best-in-class creators' access to assets related to hundreds of films and series from Disney's library.

The short videos created with these assets will be shown on TikTok itself, but a curated selection will also appear on the Disney+ app in a new vertical mobile feed called Verts. The goal is to keep subscribers engaged for longer by providing endless content that can be easily consumed in small doses.

However, some are concerned about the impact this could have on traditional media and the role of professional creatives. With Disney facing criticism over its recent layoffs, including at Pixar and Disney Television Entertainment, the decision to rely more heavily on user-generated content has raised eyebrows.

The agreement with TikTok follows a previous deal with OpenAI that was scrapped due to concerns over AI content. The lack of details on how the new partnership will work, how creators will be selected, or what financial arrangements are in place has added to the uncertainty.