- Disney has a new partnership with TikTok
- Select creator-made vertical TikTok videos will appear on Disney+
- The deal marks a shift toward real creators over AI-generated content after Disney's short-lived Sora partnership
Disney+ is soon going to be home to a new content type in the form of vertical videos, and unlike the original deal between Disney and OpenAI that would have had Sora-created videos using famous characters, this one seems a lot better on paper.
In a new deal between Disney and TikTok, select creators on the social platform will have access to the Mouse's IP and can use it to create videos that could land on the Disney+ app within the Verts tab. It will be pretty all-encompassing in terms of topics, featuring characters and stories from across the Disney umbrella, including Star Wars, Pixar, Marvel, and FX.
The idea, it seems, is that Disney is tapping into an already very vocal audience. There are likely hundreds of thousands of Disney creators already on TikTok, sharing thoughts about the Parks or Disney Cruise Line around the world, as well as all the facets of media that Disney creates.
In fact, my feed has been all about theories surrounding Spider-Man: Brand New Day recently, along with Disney World making its switch to Halloween theming — Mickey pumpkins, am I right?
Asad Ayaz, Chief Marketing and Brand Officer of The Walt Disney Company, is quoted in the release as saying, "The best storytellers are fans first; that has always been true at Disney, and today, fans are celebrating our stories in entirely new ways."
"This collaboration creates a new bridge between the stories we tell and the creativity they inspire, giving creators a bigger stage to share what they've made, and audiences more to discover on Disney+ every day."
It also shows a focus on creator-made content for Disney and a deeper embrace of this type of content. We'll see the first results in the coming months, initially in the United States, with selected content appearing on Disney+ afterward.
While Disney hasn't shared the specific characters and franchises creators will have access to, the release states, "TikTok will offer their creators access to assets related to hundreds of films and series from Disney's vast library of enduring franchises and beloved IP."
Seemingly, if there's a new series or addition to Disney+, the Verts platform could serve up TikToks of people reacting, sharing a viral dance, or really any medium that relates back to the show, helping to inspire more conversation.
The notion of vertical videos within Disney+ is not new, but this deal with TikTok seems to be a swap for the Sora alternative. That is, before Disney pulled away from the OpenAI deal and the AI giant shut down Sora. There, many Disney characters would have been used within Sora to create AI-generated videos. As I wrote back when the deal was announced, it felt like magic lost.
This new approach of working with TikTok — and arguably a community of creators who already post and create content about what's on Disney+ — will likely be a much better combination.
Once approved and accepted into the Disney Creator Ambassador Program within the TikTok x Disney partnership, creators can get access to event invites, increased visibility, and special rewards, though specifics on how to apply or join have not yet been released.
I suspect those details will come in the coming weeks or months, similar to when we see these TikTok-created videos appear in Verts on Disney+. The timing also comes as another arm of Disney is partnering with creators, albeit not just for short-form content but long-form as well.
Dubbed Created in LA and led by the Disney Experiences arm of The Walt Disney Company, this will be a two-day event in Los Angeles. Creators can apply to attend, and it will open with a premiere and screening of creator-made videos — think TikTok creators, YouTubers, and Instagram creators — at the El Capitan Theatre, followed by a summit on the second day at The Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank.
Disney is partnering with creator Jon Youshaei on the event, and it shows yet another embrace of and willingness to partner with creators. In this case, it's helping to spotlight creators, big and small, who apply and get approved, giving them a larger stage while also providing access to Disney and insights from the company.
It will be interesting to see if there's any crossover between Created in LA and this new Disney x TikTok partnership, but time will tell. Either way, it's a better direction to have real creators rather than AI-created content in Sora.
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