The Walt Disney Company has announced a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI alongside a landmark three-year licensing agreement that will allow the artificial intelligence firm’s Sora short-form video generation platform to use a broad library of more than 200 characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars, company and industry sources confirmed.
Under the licensing pact, OpenAI’s Sora and ChatGPT Images tools will generate short, user-prompted social videos and images featuring iconic intellectual property, including character designs, costumes, props, vehicles and environments drawn from Disney’s extensive catalogue of animated and creature characters, starting in early 2026. The deal excludes the use of talent likenesses and voices.
A selection of user-generated Sora videos produced under the licence is expected to be made available for streaming on Disney+, marking a first-of-its-kind integration of fan-created AI content within the company’s flagship streaming service.
The agreement also designates Disney as a major commercial customer of OpenAI, enabling the entertainment giant to deploy OpenAI’s APIs to develop internal tools, support employee workflows and explore new product experiences. Disney will receive equity warrants that provide the option to acquire additional shares of OpenAI over time.
Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger said the collaboration underscores a shared commitment to “thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI while respecting and protecting creators and their works,” signalling the company’s strategic embrace of AI-enabled creativity.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman described the partnership as a milestone in combining advanced AI technologies with one of the world’s most recognisable creative brands, with the aim of expanding how audiences create and experience content.
Industry analysts view the deal as a major endorsement of AI’s role in entertainment and fan engagement, positioning Disney as the first major Hollywood studio to license extensive intellectual property at scale to a generative AI platform and directly participate in the financial upside of rapid AI development.
The investment and licensing agreement is subject to customary closing conditions, including corporate and board approvals, and represents a significant intersection of media IP and emerging AI-driven creative ecosystems.
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