Disney, TikTok partner on short-form video content

Walt Disney DIS.N 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 CMCSA.O, and Paramount+ PSKY.O have started to offer vertical series, and Netflix NFLX.O 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."

-Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Jamie Freed/Reuters