The Walt Disney Company and TikTok announced an agreement on Wednesday, August 5, to share short video content between the social network and streaming service Disney+. The partnership marks the first time that videos from TikTok will be displayed on an external platform, as well as the first deal of its type between the mobile app and a traditional media company.
Under the agreement, a carefully selected choice of videos will be streamed on both TikTok and Disney+. The agreement will allow TikTok content creators to incorporate Disney characters, film scenes, and television program footage directly into their short videos.
The Walt Disney Company, based in Burbank, California, is an American mass media and entertainment conglomerate. TikTok, owned by Beijing-based technology company ByteDance, is a global video-sharing platform designed primarily for short vertical videos viewed on smartphones.
Distribution on Disney+ and creator tools
The shared videos will appear on Disney+ in a new tab named Verts. Disney created the dedicated section to attract younger audiences who regularly consume vertical videos on mobile phones. Disney+, launched in 2019, is the company's main subscription video-on-demand platform.
As part of the deal, TikTok will offer creators access to resources from hundreds of Disney movies and series. The selection includes assets from major Disney brands and production studios, including animation unit Pixar, superhero franchise producer Marvel Studios, sci-fi franchise Star Wars, and television network FX.
A pilot program for the deal will begin in the United States in the coming months, with plans to expand the service into other international markets later. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed by either company.
Streaming rivals embrace vertical video
Disney+ and other streaming services are increasingly adopting vertical video, a portrait-oriented format that is growing rapidly across the United States entertainment market. Competitors have already launched similar vertical offerings: Peacock, owned by Comcast Corporation's NBCUniversal unit, and Paramount+, operated by Paramount Global, have both started offering vertical series. Meanwhile, streaming giant Netflix features Clips, a feed of short videos inspired by TikTok's layout.
In addition to supplying fresh content for Disney+, the agreement could help Disney draw more viewers to its subscription service. According to data provided by the social network, TikTok users shared an average of 6.5 million posts per day related to movies and television series last year. Furthermore, nearly half of respondents in a TikTok survey said they watched a movie or TV show after discovering related content on the app.
Asad Ayaz, chief marketing and brand officer at Disney, said the best storytellers were fans first and foremost. He added that the collaboration created a new bridge between the stories Disney told and the creativity those stories inspired.
