Disney and OpenAI Strike $1B Deal for AI-Generated Content
OpenAI has secured a landmark $1 billion agreement with Disney, granting access to its entire character catalog—spanning Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars—for AI-generated videos. The deal marks Disney as the first major studio to license content to OpenAI's Sora, enabling the creation of short social media clips from user prompts. ChatGPT Images will also leverage the catalog to transform text into detailed visuals.
The partnership includes strict safeguards: talent likenesses and voices are excluded, aligning with both companies' commitment to responsible AI use. Disney will also become a significant OpenAI customer, integrating APIs for Disney+ tools and deploying ChatGPT internally. A $1 billion equity investment by Disney, with warrants for future shares, underscores the strategic alignment.
Disney CEO Robert A. Iger framed the collaboration as a natural progression in storytelling innovation, emphasizing generative AI's potential to expand creative reach while protecting intellectual property. The deal awaits final corporate approvals before implementation.