Disney and OpenAI agree Sora licensing deal covering more than 200 characters
Photo credit: Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company and OpenAI have reached a three-year licensing agreement that will make Disney the first major content partner on Sora, OpenAI’s generative AI video platform.
Under the deal, Sora will be able to generate short, user-prompted social videos featuring more than 200 characters from across Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars. A curated selection of these fan-created videos will also be made available to stream on Disney+.
The agreement also includes a $1 billion equity investment from Disney into OpenAI, alongside warrants to purchase additional equity, subject to regulatory and corporate approvals.
How Sora will use Disney IP
As part of the licensing arrangement, Sora will generate short-form videos that can be viewed and shared by fans, drawing from a defined set of animated, masked, and creature characters. These include costumes, props, vehicles, and recognizable environments from Disney-owned franchises.
OpenAI says the agreement does not include talent likenesses or voices. The characters available will span core Disney properties as well as Pixar titles, Marvel characters in animated or illustrated form, and Lucasfilm properties.
In parallel, ChatGPT Images will also be able to generate images using the same licensed intellectual property, allowing users to create visual content from text prompts in seconds.
OpenAI and Disney confirmed that Sora-generated content featuring Disney characters is expected to begin rolling out in early 2026.
Beyond licensing, Disney will become a major customer of OpenAI, using its APIs to build new products, tools, and experiences across its businesses. This includes work on Disney+ and the deployment of ChatGPT internally for Disney employees.
The companies say they will collaborate on new AI-powered experiences for Disney+ subscribers, with a focus on creative engagement rather than full-length content production. Under the agreement, curated selections of Sora-generated videos will be available to watch directly on the streaming platform.
Commitment to responsible AI use
Both companies emphasized that the partnership includes shared standards around trust, safety, and creator protections. OpenAI confirmed it will continue implementing age-appropriate policies and safeguards across Sora and related services.
Disney and OpenAI also stated that they will maintain controls designed to prevent illegal or harmful content, respect the rights of content owners, and ensure individuals retain appropriate control over the use of their voice and likeness.
Robert A. Iger, CEO at The Walt Disney Company, says: “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.
“Bringing together Disney’s iconic stories and characters with OpenAI’s groundbreaking technology puts imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways we’ve never seen before, giving them richer and more personal ways to connect with the Disney characters and stories they love.”
Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO at OpenAI, adds: “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.”
The agreement positions Disney as one of the most high-profile media companies to formally license intellectual property for generative AI video creation at scale. It also marks one of OpenAI’s largest commercial partnerships tied directly to entertainment IP.
While the deal opens up new forms of fan-generated content, both companies have stressed that it is framed around short-form creation rather than full production workflows. The emphasis remains on controlled access, clear licensing boundaries, and defined use cases rather than open-ended content generation.
If successful, the partnership could influence how other major rights holders approach licensing, platform distribution, and AI-generated creative tools over the next several years.
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