Disney and Adobe are expanding their long-running relationship through a multiyear strategic alliance focused on emerging technology, including what the companies describe as “responsibly developed AI” for Disney’s creative teams.
Under the agreement, Adobe will become an “official AI innovation partner” of the Walt Disney Co. Disney will receive early access to Adobe’s newest AI, creative and media technologies, along with dedicated engineering and research support for its production pipeline.
The technology covered by the alliance includes Adobe Firefly, the company’s generative AI offering for creatives; Adobe Firefly Foundry, which supports proprietary AI models; video-editing platform Adobe Premiere; and digital-imaging software Adobe Photoshop.
The announcement coincides with Adobe MAX 2026, the company’s annual creativity conference, being held Nov. 10-12 in Miami.
Disney-Tailored AI Models
A central part of the collaboration will involve Disney working directly with Adobe through Firefly Foundry to create generative AI models customized for Disney properties. Disney describes the planned models as “human-centered and artist-led.”
Those proprietary systems will be trained on specific knowledge connected to Disney properties, including character attributes, environments and visual styles. Disney says the goal is to produce commercially safe, production-ready material while speeding up work and allowing creative teams to develop more projects.
Some of that technology is already being put to use. Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development is employing Adobe Firefly Foundry within its theme park development pipeline.
The existing applications include a sketch-to-image model that converts hand-drawn concepts into fully rendered 2D concept art. Imagineering is also using a custom image model designed to generate creative assets that remain on-brand and accurate to a franchise.
“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, Disney’s senior vice president of corporate alliances.
Vodnoy said combining Disney’s storytellers and brands with Adobe’s technology could give creative teams new ways to explore and develop ideas, as well as bring stories and experiences to audiences around the world.
Studio and Sports Collaboration
The alliance reaches beyond individual creative tools. Adobe and Disney will also collaborate on emerging technology through Walt Disney Studios’ StudioLAB and ESPN Edge.
StudioLAB operates as a collaborative innovation hub for Walt Disney Studios, bringing creative and technical personnel together to prototype concepts and develop experiments into usable tools and storytelling opportunities. Adobe is joining the initiative as a StudioLAB Innovation Partner and will work with Disney creatives and technologists on internal creative workflows.
On the sports side, ESPN and Adobe will use the ESPN Edge Innovation Center to examine how AI could improve fan engagement, influence the delivery of ESPN content and offer new ways to use the network’s archive.
ESPN Edge was established to explore, test and implement emerging technologies with potential applications for sports storytelling.
Hannah Elsakr, Adobe’s vice president of GenAI New Business Venture, said Adobe’s creativity, productivity and customer-experience tools have supported Disney’s content pipelines, workflows, personalized marketing and digital experiences in its parks during the companies’ decades-long collaboration.
Elsakr described the new deal as the next phase of that relationship, with Disney and Adobe seeking to build a creative foundation that uses AI to accelerate artistic vision, creativity and guest engagement.
A Broader Business Alliance
The agreement also gives Adobe opportunities to promote technology and innovation work associated with Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Disney Cruise Line, ESPN Edge and StudioLAB.
Those efforts may appear through global marketing campaigns, industry events, customer stories and other strategic engagements. Adobe will also increase its presence across Disney’s media platforms, aiming to reach entertainment and sports audiences.
ShowBiz Take
This is not simply a software-supply agreement. By pairing early access to Adobe products with dedicated research and engineering resources, Disney is positioning the partnership across multiple stages of its creative operation—from initial theme park sketches and studio workflows to sports content and archive use.
The emphasis on property-specific models is particularly significant within the scope of the deal. Rather than relying only on broadly available generative tools, Disney and Adobe plan to develop proprietary systems around defined characters, settings and visual identities, while publicly framing the work as artist-led and centered on human creators.
Just as importantly, the alliance spans Disney’s studios, parks and sports operations. The confirmed Imagineering applications provide a concrete example of how the collaboration is already moving into production-related workflows, while StudioLAB and ESPN Edge create additional channels for testing what comes next.
What Happens Next?
Disney and Adobe will continue developing customized Firefly Foundry models and exploring new creative workflows through StudioLAB. ESPN and Adobe will also identify potential AI applications for fan engagement, content delivery and the ESPN archive as the multiyear partnership unfolds.