Disney’s Shocking Move: Why Their 2% Stake in Webtoon Could Change Everything—Are You Ready?

The Walt Disney Company has taken a significant step in its strategy to monetize its vast intellectual property (IP) portfolio by finalizing a partnership with Webtoon Entertainment. This collaboration is poised to accelerate the global expansion of Korean webtoons, a genre that has gained substantial popularity in recent years. With a shared vision of developing a new digital comics platform, this partnership signals a new era for how both companies plan to reach international audiences.

On January 11, 2026, Disney acquired a 2 percent equity stake in Webtoon Entertainment, purchasing 2,666,757 shares of common stock for a total of $32.77 million. Webtoon Entertainment, which is the parent company of Naver Webtoon—a trailblazing Korean webtoon platform that launched in 2004—made its debut on the Nasdaq in June 2024. This strategic investment reinforces Disney's broader initiative to monetize its extensive content library and explore new digital avenues.

This partnership is not just a financial investment; it follows a nonbinding term sheet initially signed in September 2025. Under this agreement, Disney and Webtoon Entertainment outlined their plans to co-develop a digital comics platform tailored for global audiences. With the equity transaction now finalized, momentum is expected to build around the upcoming platform, which promises to host around 35,000 titles from Disney's vast IP catalog. This includes beloved franchises such as Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, Pixar, and 20th Century Studios, along with select original titles from Webtoon’s library.

The forthcoming platform will cater to a diverse audience by offering content in various formats. Some titles will be adapted into Webtoon’s distinctive vertical-scroll format, while others will be digitized versions of traditional print comics. Webtoon Entertainment will take the lead on platform development and daily operations, suggesting a strong commitment to enhancing the user experience and expanding its reach in the U.S. market.

Market research from Grand View Research indicates that the U.S. webtoon market is set to experience substantial growth, projected to rise from $1.98 billion in 2024 to $8.72 billion by 2033. This represents a compound annual growth rate of 16.5 percent, reflecting a significant shift in consumer preferences from print to mobile-first, digital content. This trend aligns well with Disney’s efforts to tap into new revenue streams as its traditional content operations face slower growth.

In its fiscal Q4 2025 earnings report, Disney revealed a $376 million year-over-year decline in operating income within its entertainment sector, bringing it down to $691 million. Challenges such as weaker theatrical comparisons and a $368 million decrease in content sales and licensing revenue underscore the urgency for Disney to innovate in how it monetizes its IP.

Moreover, this partnership could have broader implications for Korea’s content ecosystem. Despite the global cultural influence of South Korean entertainment, particularly seen in K-pop and television dramas, the country has historically struggled to establish robust global distribution channels for original IP. A report by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry noted that no Korean IP ranks among the world’s top 50, while the U.S. holds 32 positions, Japan seven, and both China and France have two each. The combined revenue from the IPs owned by 32 U.S. companies amounts to approximately $242 billion, which is about 13 percent of Korea’s gross domestic product.

This partnership between Disney and Webtoon Entertainment not only represents a strategic maneuver for both companies but also highlights the evolving landscape of digital content consumption. As audiences increasingly seek accessible and engaging formats, this new platform could pave the way for a more interconnected global entertainment industry. By leveraging the strengths of both Disney's iconic franchises and Webtoon’s innovative storytelling methods, this alliance is set to reshape how content is created, distributed, and consumed on a global scale.