Disney and TikTok strike short-form video-sharing deal

Walt Disney and TikTok on Wednesday announced a deal to let TikTok creators use characters and scenes from Disney ​movies and TV shows in short-form videos, the first pact ‌of its kind between the popular social media app and a traditional media company. Under the agreement, a curated selection of videos will stream on TikTok and also on ​the Disney+ streaming service, the companies said in a statement. Videos ​will appear on Disney+ under a Verts tab designed to ⁠capture younger audiences who devour vertical video on mobile phones. It is ​the first time TikTok videos will be shown on another platform. TikTok will offer ​creators access to assets from hundreds of Disney films and series from brands including Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and FX, the companies said. A pilot program will start in ​the U.S. in the coming months with plans to bring it to ​other markets, the companies said. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Disney+ and other ‌streaming ⁠services are starting to embrace vertical video, a format that is growing rapidly in the United States. Peacock, owned by Comcast, and Paramount+ have started to offer vertical series, and Netflix features Clips, or short TikTok-style videos. In ​addition to providing ​new content for ⁠Disney+, the deal with TikTok could help the company attract additional viewers to the streaming service. According to TikTok data, ​the platform’s users shared an average of 6.5 million ​film- and ⁠TV-related posts each day last year. Nearly half of viewers in a survey said they watched a movie or TV show after discovering related content on ⁠TikTok. “The ​best storytellers are fans first,” said Asad ​Ayaz, Disney’s chief marketing and brand officer. “This collaboration creates a new bridge between the stories we ​tell and the creativity they inspire.”