Disney+ subscribers will soon see TikTok videos in the streaming service's mobile app.
On Aug. 5, The Walt Disney Company and TikTok announced a global partnership to bring TikTok content to the Disney+ mobile app. When it rolls out in the United States over the next few months, TikTok content creators who opt in to a new program will see their videos on both TikTok and Verts on Disney+. Creators will have access to Disney intellectual property from hundreds of films and television series.
Verts on Disney+ is a vertical video algorithm similar to TikTok's and Instagram Reels'. The feature, which Disney launched in March, allows Disney+ mobile app users to scroll through short-form videos featuring Disney content, like scenes from movies and television
shows. Under the new partnership, TikTok content will also be accessible through this algorithm.
Under the partnership, creators who opt in to the tiered program will have access to rewards and to "exclusive events and career development pathways," according to a Disney news release. Details on when the program will be open and who is eligible have yet to be shared.
USA TODAY reached out to Disney and TikTok for more information about the partnership on Aug. 5.
When will TikTok videos start appearing on Disney+?
As of Aug. 5, neither Disney nor TikTok had shared when the Disney-focused TikTok videos would begin appearing on the streaming platform.
How do TikTokers opt in to the Disney partnership?
Neither Disney nor TikTok had announced how TikTokers could opt in to the program as of Aug 5.
What does the internet think of the partnership?
Largely, the partnership has received backlash online, with many confused at why Disney+ users would be interested in scrolling through creator-made content, instead of just watching movies and shows on the platform.
"Double ew. Why would anybody pay Disney+ (subscription) to see TikTok vids?" a Reddit user asked in the popculturechat subreddit. "Someone didn't think this through."
"I don't pay Disney+ to see TikTok videos," another Reddit user said in the subreddit. "Disney, if I can't block this from my kid's account, I will cancel this service," another user wrote.
But others seem less confused. The irony of the partnership follows the release of "Toy Story 5," in which the movie's villain, Lilypad, is a smart tablet that aims to distract Bonnie from traditional playtime.
"They want to keep kids doomscrolling on Disney+, not going to a different app," one Reddit user said in the popculturechat subreddit.
Some content creators, however, are looking forward to the opportunity to have access to Disney IP and be promoted on official Disney channels.
"I feel that it's smart that rather than competing with TikTok, Disney is bringing creators into their own ecosystem," Disney content creator Victoria Wade said in a TikTok video on Aug. 5. "As someone who's created Disney content mostly for a little over 10 years now, I'm really excited at the prospect of what opportunities this program could provide to creators."
Wade continued: "This is Disney finally acknowledging that we the fans have known for a very long time ... we don't just live on Disney+. While it's a great platform for us to see everything we love as fans, we live here (on TikTok). For example, when 'X-Men '97' drops today, guess where I'm going to go straight to? Here because I want to see the breakdowns. I want to get all the tips. I want to discuss it with like-minded fans like myself. If Disney executes this properly and well, this could be a great opportunity for a lot of people like myself."
What happened to the US TikTok ban?
In January 2025, TikTok experienced a momentary blackout in the United States, and for a full year after, users continued to wait for a concrete update on the social media platform's fate.
Some government officials were worried TikTok posed a national security risk, particularly since China-based ByteDance owns it. While in office, former President Joe Biden signed a bill that gave ByteDance until January 2025 to sell TikTok to avoid a ban in the United States. When ByteDance did not comply, the platform went temporarily dark in the United States.
After taking office, President Donald Trump extended the ban's deadline in hopes of striking a deal with ByteDance.
In January, ByteDance finalized a deal to establish a majority-owned joint venture company, TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, to avoid the ban. The U.S.-based company will secure U.S. user data, apps and the algorithm through data privacy and cybersecurity measures, it said.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why you'll soon see TikTok content on the Disney+ app
