Disney Teams Up with TikTok for Creator-Friendly Licensing Deal

The video app TikTok has partnered with Disney to allow creators to use iconic characters and scenes from franchises like Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, and FX in their short-form videos. The agreement gives TikTokers access to hundreds of films and series from Disney's vast library, including memorable likenesses and scenes.

The partnership is mutually beneficial, as it allows TikTok creators to bring a professional touch to film- and TV-oriented content, while Disney will feature some resulting TikToks on its Verts hub. This is Disney's entry point into the creator economy, and the company is incentivized to buy into creators due to Netflix's spending spree and Amazon Prime Video's alliance with MrBeast.

The deal is set to pilot in the U.S. before expanding to other regions, with the first creator videos featuring Disney IP expected to arrive 'in the coming months.' According to TikTok, its users shared an average of 6.5 million film and TV-related posts on the app during each day of 2023.