Disney+ Subscribers To Get Access To Select WEBTOON Digital Comics
Disney has announced a new deal with WEBTOON Entertainment to develop an all-new digital comics platform featuring current comic book runs and 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,o 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.
It’s also been announced that Disney+ subscribers who want to further explore the stories behind some of their favourite franchises will be able to access a curated selection of comic titles in the new app at no additional charge, as part of the Disney+ Perks program.
WEBTOON Entertainment and Disney previously announced a multi-year collaboration featuring nearly 100 reformatted classics and all-new original series tailored for WEBTOON’s vertical-scroll format.
Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Experiences, said in a statement regarding the new partnership:
“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. 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 localised 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.
Junkoo Kim, Founder and CEO, WEBTOON Entertainment, added:
“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. 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.”
Roger’s Take: With Disney’s massive comic book business, not just with its Marvel brand, but with its long-running Disney characters, so it makes sense for the company to invest in alternative ways of reaching new audiences, as people slowly move away from traditional comic books. For Disney+ subscribers, having extra perks makes total sense and it’s a great way to build awareness of WEBTOON.
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