Walt Disney Co. has announced a new partnership with TikTok that will lead to more creator-made vertical videos appearing on the Disney+ streaming app.
Under the terms of the agreement, TikTok will give creators who choose to participate access to assets from hundreds of Disney movies and television shows for use in short-form videos that will appear on the social media platform, as well as in the Verts vertical video feed on the Disney+ app. Those videos will be able to feature characters and stories from Disney brands such as Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel and FX.
The effort will start in the coming months in the U.S., with additional markets to follow, the two companies said in a statement released Wednesday morning. The move comes as Disney looks to boost engagement and reduce churn on its streaming platform. Ultimately, Disney Chief Executive Josh D’Amaro plans to make the app into the “digital centerpiece” of the company.
“Today, fans are celebrating our stories in entirely new ways,” Asad Ayaz, Disney’s chief marketing and brand officer, said in the statement. “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.”
