Disney+ teams up with TikTok on creator video sharing deal

Disney and TikTok announced a global short-form content-sharing deal in August that lets TikTok creators use characters and scenes from Disney movies and TV shows in their videos. Reuters called it the first pact of its kind between the companies, and Disney said the collaboration was meant to put fan creativity front and center while opening doors for the next generation of creators.

The agreement gives TikTok creators access to assets from hundreds of Disney films and series, a sign that Disney is treating creator traffic as a core streaming lever rather than a sideshow. Variety said the deal was aimed at boosting short-form programming on Disney+, while The Wrap said the two companies would jointly run a Disney Creator Ambassador Program that would give select creators greater visibility.

The move fits a broader shift inside Disney+ toward vertical video and habit-building features. On March 12, Disney announced Verts, a new mobile app experience on Disney+ in the United States, describing it as the first phase of bringing vertical video content to the platform and only the start of an ongoing evolution. Deadline reported in January that Disney+ planned to add vertical videos to drive daily engagement, underscoring how streaming services are now competing with TikTok and YouTube for time spent on mobile screens, especially among Gen Z viewers.

Disney had already tested that playbook in October 2023 with a limited-time TikTok collaboration that offered users video, music and custom effects from 48 Disney brands. The new deal goes further by folding creator-made clips into Disney’s own ecosystem, which could help Disney+ stay in front of viewers between big franchise releases. It also raises a familiar tension for media companies: the same creator economy that can deepen fandom can also turn marketing, promotion and entertainment into the same feed.