The Walt Disney Company and TikTok have struck a global partnership that will bring curated fan-created TikTok videos into Disney Plus, the companies said on Wednesday.
The announcement coincided with the release of Disney’s latest financial earnings report, which showed overall revenue was boosted in part by strong interest in its entertainment franchises and direct-to-consumer streaming products.
The partnership with TikTok aims to improve those businesses: It will start in the United States, where videos from participating TikTok creators will appear on both TikTok and Verts, the new short-form platform within Disney Plus.
The videos will feature characters, franchises and stories from across Disney’s portfolio, including Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and FX. TikTok will also give creators access to assets tied to hundreds of Disney films and series, allowing them to create content using scenes and moments from the company’s library.
Disney said the videos will be refreshed regularly to reflect timely fan conversations and encourage Disney Plus subscribers to engage with the company’s stories in different formats.
“The best storytellers are fans first,” Disney’s Chief Marketing and Brand Officer Asad Ayaz said on Wednesday. “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 Plus every day.”
The agreement comes at a time when all major entertainment companies are trying to figure out how to tap into creator-driven content to bring more business to its premium entertainment products. Disney and TikTok said fan-created videos play an increasingly important role in how audiences discover movies and television shows, discuss franchises and build online communities around entertainment.
“Creators are at the heart of everything we do at TikTok,” said Dawn Yang the Global Head of Entertainment at TikTok. “Their creativity extends the life of films and shows into conversations that fans discover and share. Together with Disney, we’re bringing the authentic creator expression of the TikTok community to Disney Plus, inviting audiences to experience the shared creativity that makes fandom so powerful.”
The partnership also includes the Disney Creator Ambassador Program, a jointly run initiative that will give selected creators special rewards, increased visibility, access to exclusive events and career development opportunities. Disney said the program is part of its effort to build relationships with emerging creative talent in partnership with TikTok.
TikTok said users shared an average of 6.5 million film and television-related posts per day last year. The company also said nearly half of surveyed viewers reported watching a movie or television show on streaming or television after discovering entertainment content on TikTok.
