From Marvel to Star Wars, Disney Teams Up with WEBTOON to Launch a New Digital Comics Hub
The Walt Disney Company has announced a major new collaboration with WEBTOON Entertainment, the global leader in digital comics, to create an all-new digital comics platform. The platform will be a one-stop shop for fans, featuring collections of current comic book runs and decades of past comics from across Disney’s extensive portfolio. This includes Marvel, Star Wars, 20th Century Studios, and more.
The announcement was made by a surprising source: Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences. D’Amaro’s role traditionally oversees the company’s theme parks, resorts, cruise lines, and consumer products. His direct involvement in a new digital platform is a point of curiosity for industry observers.
In a statement, D’Amaro said, “By uniting our unparalleled collection of comics into a single digital platform, we’re giving fans unprecedented access to the adventures they love – all in one place.”
The partnership is a significant move for Disney, which has previously offered digital comics primarily through Marvel Unlimited. The new platform, built and operated by WEBTOON Entertainment, is an expansion of that service and will include a mix of vertical and traditional comic formats, with a curated selection of titles available at no extra charge to Disney+ subscribers as part of the Disney+ Perks program.
WEBTOON, with its approximately 155 million monthly active users, is a key partner in this venture. The platform is known for its mobile-first, vertical-scroll format, which has revolutionized how a new generation of readers consumes comics. The collaboration will not only bring existing archives to new audiences but also feature new original stories developed specifically for the platform.
While the partnership marks an exciting development for comic book fans, the prominent role of Josh D’Amaro in the announcement is notable. D’Amaro’s purview has historically been focused on physical, in-person experiences and merchandise. While his portfolio does include Disney Consumer Products and the digital games and apps business, the direct public-facing announcement for a new digital platform seems to lean more into the media and entertainment segment of the company, which is run by other executives.
This could signal a new, more integrated strategy for Disney, where leaders across different business units are collaborating to leverage all aspects of the company’s intellectual property, both in the physical and digital realms.
From Marvel to Star Wars, Disney Teams Up with WEBTOON to Launch a New Digital Comics Hub
From the WEBTOONS press release: The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) and WEBTOON Entertainment (NASDAQ: WBTN) today announced that Disney and WEBTOON have entered into a non-binding term sheet for the development of an all-new digital comics platform that will feature current comic book runs and include decades of past comics from across Disney’s portfolio including Marvel, Star Wars, 20th Century Studios and more.
For the first time, more than 35,000 comics from Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, Pixar and 20th Century Studios will be available in a single digital comics service with one convenient subscription, adding more stories than ever before in one location. As an expansion upon Marvel Unlimited, Marvel’s current digital comics subscription service, the new platform which will be built and operated by WEBTOON Entertainment, will provide decades of iconic comics for current Marvel Unlimited subscribers and bring in even more fans to experience storytelling from across the Disney portfolio along with a selection of WEBTOON Original stories. The new platform will include a mix of vertical and traditional formats for archived comics, current comic book runs and original stories.
As part of the Disney+ Perks program, Disney+ subscribers who want to further explore the stories behind some of their favorite franchises will be able to access a curated selection of comic titles in the new app at no additional charge.
WEBTOON Entertainment and Disneypreviously announced a multi-year collaboration featuring nearly 100 reformatted classics and all-new original series tailored for WEBTOON’s vertical-scroll format.
“By uniting our unparalleled collection of comics across Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, Pixar and 20th Century Studios into a single digital platform, we’re giving fans unprecedented access to the adventures they love – all in one place,” said Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Experiences. “Through our expanded relationship with WEBTOON, the global leader in digital comics, we’re opening doors to new audiences and deepening fan engagement.”
The new digital comics platform will target a wide distribution. Select comics will also be localized for WEBTOON’S Korean and Japanese platforms.
Alongside the planned commercial collaboration, Disney and WEBTOON Entertainment also entered into a non-binding term sheet for Disney to acquire a 2% equity interest in WEBTOON Entertainment. The proposed equity investment and the commercial collaboration are subject to the parties entering into definitive agreements on mutually agreeable terms and customary closing conditions.
“With a new platform that will combine our product and technical expertise with Disney’s full comic catalog, we’re giving new and longtime fans all over the world a new way to discover these legendary characters and stories,” said Junkoo Kim, Founder and CEO, WEBTOON Entertainment. “Disney’s extraordinary storytelling legacy is second to none, and we’re honored to work with them to build the future of digital comics. This is a powerful next step for our growing global business, and a strong foundation for even greater collaboration with Disney in the years ahead.”
