Disney has announced a significant $1 billion investment in OpenAI, establishing itself as the “first major content licensing partner on Sora.” This strategic agreement also grants Disney the option to increase its investment in OpenAI in the future. The partnership is formalized through a new three-year licensing deal, which will enable Sora users to generate short videos featuring over 200 characters sourced from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars films. Furthermore, the agreement extends to ChatGPT, allowing it to generate images incorporating the same intellectual property.

A critical aspect of this deal is the explicit restriction on using talent likenesses or voices, meaning users will be unable to create videos that feature actor-matched performances. The ability for Sora and ChatGPT to generate images and videos using Disney characters is projected to become available in early 2026. Commenting on this collaboration, Disney CEO Bob Iger stated that the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence represents an important moment for the industry, and this partnership with OpenAI will responsibly extend storytelling through generative AI while protecting creators and their works. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman echoed this sentiment, highlighting the agreement as an example of how AI companies and creative leaders can collaborate responsibly to foster innovation that benefits society, respects creativity, and helps works reach new audiences.

The deal also includes provisions for Disney+ integration, where fans will be able to watch a curated selection of Sora-generated videos. OpenAI and Disney plan to collaborate on leveraging OpenAI’s models to “power new experiences” for Disney+ subscribers. Beyond content creation, Disney is set to become one of OpenAI’s major customers, utilizing its APIs to develop new projects, tools, and experiences specifically for its streaming platform. Internally, Disney also intends to deploy ChatGPT for its employees.

OpenAI initially launched Sora, its video generation application, in September. The iOS app quickly gained traction for its capability to generate videos from simple text descriptions within seconds. Sora also offers features to transform still images into videos and a unique character feature that allows users to create videos using the digital likeness of themselves or approved friends. This partnership marks a shift from Disney’s previous stance, as the company had previously opted out of allowing its content to be used on Sora, joining a group of studios and public figures who expressed objections to their likeness being incorporated into AI-generated videos.