Disney and Adobe have entered a multi-year partnership under which Adobe will build proprietary generative AI models trained on Disney's own characters, footage, and art, using Adobe Firefly Foundry1,3. The deal gives Disney early access to Adobe's latest AI, creative, and media technologies, including generative AI tools, proprietary AI models, and video- and photo-editing software2.
The companies described the effort as "artist-led," with the custom models staying proprietary to Disney so that creative teams can generate production-ready images without sending intellectual property outside the company.
Disney plans to deploy the tools across its theme parks, resorts, cruise line, and ESPN Edge. Inside Disney's Imagineering and StudioLAB workflows, the AI is intended to accelerate tasks such as turning hand sketches into more polished concept art, letting teams test ideas earlier and avoid costly revisions downstream. On the ESPN side, Disney and Adobe plan to use AI to surface more of ESPN's archive and tailor fan experiences.
The companies said they would also work together to explore emerging technologies, including what they called responsibly developed AI, to support Disney's creative teams.
ANALYSIS The structure of the deal addresses a core tension for large intellectual-property holders: the risk that feeding proprietary assets into public generative AI systems could expose sensitive files or create ownership disputes over outputs. By keeping models proprietary through Adobe Firefly Foundry, Disney retains control over both the training data and the generated results.
Adobe will provide Disney with early access to its latest technologies under the agreement. Financial terms of the multi-year collaboration were not disclosed in the available reporting.