New pact brings official fan videos to Disney+ Verts feed in U.S. pilot
Disney just handed TikTok creators the keys to some of its most valuable properties. Official clips from Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and more can now appear in short videos without the usual copyright strikes.
The Walt Disney Company and TikTok announced the first-of-its-kind deal on Wednesday. Creators who opt in get access to assets from hundreds of films and series. Their videos will run on TikTok and, after curation, on Disney+ under the Verts tab.
Verts is Disney’s vertical short-form feed, launched on the Disney+ mobile app earlier this year. It already shows scenes from movies and shows. Fan-made content is the next step.
Why This Matters for Disney
Short-form video drives discovery. TikTok data shows an average of 6.5 million film- and TV-related posts per day last year. Nearly half of surveyed viewers said they watched a movie or show after seeing related content on the platform.
Disney wants that energy inside its own ecosystem. “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.”
The program starts as a U.S. pilot in the coming months, then expands to other markets. Content will refresh regularly to keep pace with trending conversations. Disney will carefully curate what appears on Verts to match its family-friendly standards.
Creator Perks and the Bigger Play
A joint Disney Creator Ambassador Program will reward top participants with higher visibility, exclusive event access, and career development pathways. TikTok’s Dawn Yang, global head of entertainment, called it a way to bring “authentic creator expression” onto Disney+.
Financial terms were not disclosed. The move follows the collapse of Disney’s earlier $1 billion licensing deal with OpenAI’s Sora, which shut down earlier this year. This time the focus is human creators, not AI-generated clips.
For TikTok, the deal adds premium Hollywood IP. For Disney, it is a direct line to younger audiences who live on short vertical video. Josh D’Amaro, Disney’s CEO since March, has already signaled the company is “actively leaning into” short-form content.
Expect official lightsaber duels, Marvel reaction edits, and Pixar remixes to start appearing soon—first on TikTok, then inside the Disney+ app itself.