Disney and WEBTOON Announce New Disney Comic Subscription Service
The Walt Disney Company and WEBTOON Entertainment have expanded their partnership and disclosed plans for a new digital comics platform that will bring together over 35,000 comic books from Disney’s vast catalog—including Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, Pixar, and 20th Century Studios—into a single subscription service. The announcement was made via a non-binding term sheet this week and signals a major move to unify decades-worth of stories under one digital roof.
Comics will include past and current issues presented in the WEBTOON vertical format and traditional comic format.
This deal would also give the Walt Disney Company 2% equity in WEBTOON.
Disney+ Perks
Disney+ subscribers will have access to a “curated selection of comics” offered at no extra cost.
Non-Disney+ subscribers will be able to pay a subscription fee for full access to the comics catalog.
Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences offered this comment,
“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."
WEBTOON Entertainment CEO and Founder, Junkoo Kim, also offered a statement,
“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.”
Aspects of the deal are “subject to the parties entering into definitive agreements on mutually agreeable terms and customary closing conditions.”
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