The Walt Disney Company and OpenAI have announced a groundbreaking three-year licensing agreement, marking Disney as the inaugural major content partner for Sora, OpenAI’s generative AI video platform. Under the terms of the deal, Sora will produce short, user-prompted social videos featuring over 200 characters from Disney’s extensive catalog, including those from Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars. A selection of these fan-generated videos will also be available for streaming on Disney+.
The agreement includes a significant $1 billion equity investment from Disney into OpenAI, which comes with potential warrants for further equity purchases, pending regulatory and corporate approvals. This investment emphasizes the growing intersection of traditional media and artificial intelligence, as both companies seek to explore new creative avenues.
Sora will leverage Disney’s intellectual property to create short-form videos that fans can view and share. The platform will utilize a defined set of animated, masked, and creature characters from Disney-owned franchises, including costumes, props, vehicles, and recognizable environments. However, it’s important to note that the agreement does not cover talent likenesses or voices. The characters will encompass core Disney properties, Pixar titles, Marvel characters in animated or illustrated forms, and Lucasfilm properties.
Alongside Sora, OpenAI’s ChatGPT Images will allow users to generate images using the same licensed content, enabling quick visual content creation from text prompts. The rollout of Sora-generated content featuring Disney characters is anticipated to begin in early 2026.
Beyond the licensing framework, Disney will emerge as a substantial customer of OpenAI, employing its APIs to develop new products and tools across its various business segments, including enhancements for Disney+ and internal deployment of ChatGPT for employees. The two companies plan to collaborate on creating AI-powered experiences for Disney+ subscribers, focusing on enhancing creative engagement rather than producing full-length content.
Both companies have committed to maintaining shared standards of trust, safety, and creator protections throughout their partnership. OpenAI confirmed that it will implement age-appropriate policies and safeguards across Sora and related services, ensuring the responsible use of AI technologies.
The agreement also prioritizes the prevention of illegal or harmful content, respects the rights of content owners, and guarantees individuals maintain control over the use of their voice and likeness. Robert A. Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, stated, “Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works.”
Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, expressed excitement about the partnership, saying, “Disney is the global gold standard for storytelling, and we’re excited to partner to allow Sora and ChatGPT Images to expand the way people create and experience great content. This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences.”
This collaboration positions Disney as a leading media company in the licensing of intellectual property for generative AI video creation at scale, alongside marking one of OpenAI’s largest commercial partnerships in the entertainment sector. While the deal paves the way for new forms of fan-generated content, both companies have emphasized short-form creation over full production workflows, focusing on controlled access, clear licensing boundaries, and defined use cases.
If executed successfully, the partnership could reshape how other major rights holders approach licensing, platform distribution, and the use of AI-generated creative tools in the coming years. The implications of this collaboration extend beyond the immediate benefits to both firms, potentially influencing the broader landscape of content creation and consumption in a rapidly evolving digital environment.
See also
China’s CICBE 2025 Unveils AI Initiative to Transform Global Basic Education
Nigeria’s AI Talent at Risk: Expert Urges Urgent Education Reform to Retain Innovators
UK Students Use GenAI in 90% of Assessments: Emphasizing Human Learning Essentials
Straia Emerges from Stealth with $1M a16z Investment to Transform Higher Ed Data Use
RAND Reports Reveal Pre-K Teacher Insights on Generative AI, Pay, and Training Gaps
