Disney agrees deal to let TikTokers use its films and TV shows in videos

Disney and TikTok have reached an agreement that will allow creators to incorporate clips from Disney films, including its subsidiaries, into their videos for sharing on TikTok's short-form video platform, Verts. This deal will initially launch in the United States and later expand to other countries. Neither company disclosed financial terms regarding the agreement.

The deal comes after Disney's $1 billion partnership with OpenAI, which aimed to permit users to employ Disney characters in AI-generated videos, was terminated in March due to OpenAI's shutdown of its Sora video generation tool. Disney's chief marketing and brand officer, Asad Ayaz, expressed that fans are now creating content around Disney's stories in novel ways.

Social media expert Matt Navarra noted that Disney must now provide creators with the tools to market its franchises. TikTok reported that approximately 6.5 million posts related to film and TV content were shared on its platform daily last year. Previously, creators using such content risked having it removed due to copyright claims.

TikTok sees the deal as an opportunity to strengthen its credibility as a formal distribution partner for Hollywood's major studios, while Disney benefits from increased engagement with fan-generated content. The partnership aims to bolster certain creators' videos and grant them access to exclusive events. The agreement also addresses concerns surrounding TikTok's operations under European online safety regulations, necessitating the implementation of robust safeguards for curated creator content.

Online content creators and influencers are increasingly significant to brands' marketing strategies. According to a report by Oxford Economics, YouTube content creators contributed £2.2 billion to the UK economy in 2024 and supported 45,000 jobs. TikTok's short-form video platform, Verts, launched in the US in March with plans for global expansion.