Disney agrees deal to let TikTokers use its films and TV shows in videos
A deal between will allow some creators to use clips from Disney films and TV shows in their videos.
Disney and TikTok have finalized an agreement that will permit content creators to incorporate snippets from Disney films and its subsidiary productions into their videos.
This collaboration means that clips from popular franchises such as Star Wars, Toy Story, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe will soon be featured in user-generated videos. These videos will also be shared on Verts, Disney's own short-form video platform. The initiative is set to launch in the United States before expanding to other countries.
Financial specifics of the deal were not disclosed by either company. This agreement follows the termination of a $1 billion (£745 million) deal between Disney and OpenAI, which would have allowed the use of Disney characters in AI-generated videos. That previous agreement was canceled in March after OpenAI discontinued its AI video generation tool, Sora, citing a strategic decision to concentrate on other business areas.
Asad Ayaz, Disney's chief marketing and brand officer, commented on the TikTok deal, stating, "Today, fans are celebrating our stories in entirely new ways."
Social media expert Matt Navarra informed BBC News, "Disney owns some of the world's biggest franchises but ownership of attention is shifting towards creators." He added, "Hollywood used to market at fans – now it needs to give fans the raw materials to market with it, and that is quite a profound shift."
TikTok reported that its platform saw an average of 6.5 million daily posts related to film and television last year. Historically, fans using film and TV clips in their videos without explicit permission often faced takedowns due to copyright claims, hindering broader audience engagement with fan-created content surrounding major releases.
Navarra also noted that TikTok would gain "the credibility of becoming a formal distribution partner to one of Hollywood's biggest studios." He further suggested that TikTok's recommendation algorithm possesses the ability to "influence which character or scene or forgotten franchise suddenly becomes very valuable again."
Both Disney and TikTok announced a jointly managed program designed to promote certain creators' videos and grant them access to exclusive events.
Gareth Sutcliffe from Enders Analysis remarked, "This is a deal that repositions and recovers Disney in the UGC [user-generated content] space following the content gap left by the sudden collapse of Sora." However, he cautioned that the deal carries risks. "There is an ongoing safety debate around TikTok under European online rules," he explained. "At a minimum, Disney will need to employ significant guardrails to curate the creator content that is selected."
Online creators and influencers are increasingly vital to brands' marketing strategies. A report from Oxford Economics last year indicated that YouTube content creators contributed £2.2 billion to the UK economy in 2024 and supported 45,000 jobs. There is also a growing recognition that even small influencers, focusing on niche topics, despite having fewer followers, often possess a highly engaged audience.
Disney launched its short-form video platform, Verts, in the US in March, with plans for global expansion.
In related news, TikTok is facing an Ofcom investigation regarding child age checks. Celebrity influencers have reportedly been paid up to £1 million to promote deodorant on Instagram. Snapchat has joined other popular platforms in combating "AI slop."
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