Disney and TikTok cut a Short-Form Content-Sharing Deal
Disney has been on a roll with cutting deals with terrible technology. In late 2025 the House of Mouse cut a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI. That deal lasted about 6 months as OpenAI shut down Sora and with it Disney’s investment in May 2026.
Now, Disney has a new collaborator in TikTok, the tech platform that was formally owned by a Chinese company but Donald Trump couldn’t have that and forced its sale to his buddies, including Larry Ellison who is currently helping fund the purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery by his son David and Paramount.
The Disney/TikTok deal will pilot in the US in the coming months and “will bring an expansive collection of thoughtfully curated Disney-centric fan-created content from TikTok to the Disney+ app.”
Participating creators who opt-in will see the content they create live on TikTok and in Verts on Disney+. They can feature characters and stories across Disney’s brands including Pixar, Marvel, Star Ears, and more.
TikTok will provide creators access to assets related to hundreds of films and series from Disney’s library.
Mentioned in the announcement is the ability to “unlock special rewards” as well as increase the visibility of creators. It also will feature exclusive events and “career development pathways.”
The deal, which the press announcement calls a “first-of-its-kind global deal” sounds similar to Disney’s deal with OpenAI which would have provided access to Disney IP while bringing the AI creations to Disney+.
