Adobe and Disney have agreed a multi-year strategic alliance, expanding a long-running relationship between the two companies.
The agreement covers Adobe tools and AI models for Disney's creative and development work, including projects in innovation labs, theme parks and on cruise ships. It also includes marketing collaborations and joint work across Disney units including StudioLAB and ESPN Edge.
Under the arrangement, Adobe's technology will support concept exploration and parts of Disney's production pipeline through products including Firefly, Firefly Foundry, Premiere and Photoshop, alongside engineering and research support. Adobe will also serve as Disney's Official AI Innovation Partner.
A central part of the alliance is the use of custom generative AI models tailored to Disney properties. Adobe said the models would be developed directly with Disney and trained on specific knowledge, including character attributes, environments and visual styles.
Disney's creative teams are expected to use the tools to test and develop ideas across entertainment and visitor experiences. The work is intended to support creators while protecting their work, the companies said.
Some of the collaboration is already under way. Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development is using Adobe Firefly Foundry in theme park development, including a sketch-to-image model that turns hand-drawn concepts into rendered 2D concept art, and a custom image model designed to produce franchise-specific creative assets.
Creative tools
The alliance also extends into film and television development through The Walt Disney Studios' StudioLAB. Adobe is joining the programme as a StudioLAB Innovation Partner, working with Disney's creative and technical teams on internal workflows and storytelling experiments.
At ESPN Edge, the sports media group's innovation centre, the companies plan to explore how AI can be used in sports storytelling and audience engagement. The work will also examine new ways to use ESPN's archive in content production and presentation.
The broader relationship will also increase Adobe's presence across Disney media platforms. The alliance includes plans for customer storytelling and global marketing activations.
Hannah Elsakr, Vice President, GenAI New Business Ventures, Adobe, described the announcement as the latest step in a relationship spanning decades.
"Adobe and The Walt Disney Company have had a decades-long collaboration, where Adobe's creativity, productivity and customer experience orchestration tools have supported everything from Disney's content creation pipelines and workflows to personalized marketing campaigns and digital experiences that come to life in the parks," said Hannah Elsakr, Vice President, GenAI New Business Ventures, Adobe.
"Today's announcement marks the next chapter of the relationship, where the two companies will build a new creative foundation that thoughtfully deploys AI as an accelerant for artistic vision, creativity and guest engagement," Elsakr said.
Disney presented the alliance as part of a longer history of investing in new production and storytelling methods.
"Disney has always embraced innovation, and this alliance with Adobe builds on a longstanding relationship between two companies that share a deep commitment to creativity," said Becca Vodnoy, Senior Vice President, Corporate Alliances, The Walt Disney Company.
"By bringing together Disney's world-class storytellers and beloved brands with Adobe's technology, we have an exciting opportunity to give our creative teams new ways to explore and develop their ideas and bring Disney stories and experiences to life for guests and fans around the world," Vodnoy said.
The partnership gives Disney early access to Adobe's latest AI, creative and media technologies, the companies said, with co-innovation projects with StudioLAB and ESPN Edge already under way.