Disney partners with WEBTOON to launch digital comics platform

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) and WEBTOON Entertainment (NASDAQ: WBTN) announced they have entered a non-binding term sheet to develop a digital comics platform featuring more than 35,000 comics from Disney's portfolio.

The platform will include comics from Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, Pixar and 20th Century Studios in a single subscription service. WEBTOON Entertainment will build and operate the platform, which expands upon Marvel Unlimited, Marvel's current digital comics subscription service.

Disney+ subscribers will receive access to a curated selection of comic titles through the new platform at no additional charge as part of the Disney+ Perks program. The platform will offer both vertical and traditional formats for archived comics, current runs and original stories.

Select comics will be localized for WEBTOON's Korean and Japanese platforms. The companies previously announced a multi-year collaboration featuring nearly 100 reformatted classics and original series for WEBTOON's vertical-scroll format.

Disney and WEBTOON Entertainment also entered a non-binding term sheet for Disney to acquire a 2% equity interest in WEBTOON Entertainment. Both the proposed equity investment and commercial collaboration require definitive agreements and customary closing conditions.

WEBTOON Entertainment operates digital storytelling platforms with approximately 155 million monthly active users. The company's ecosystem includes WEBTOON, Wattpad, LINE Manga and eBookJapan.

Disney reported annual revenue of $91.4 billion in fiscal year 2024 and operates through three business segments: Entertainment, Sports, and Experiences.

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