Disney strikes development pact with Russian-American YouTuber Like Nastya

Like Nastya has 275 billion lifetime views on YouTube

likenastya/Instagram

Disney has struck a development and licensing deal with 12-year-old Russian-American YouTuber Like Nastya, as the media giant continues to expand its presence in the creator space.

The deal will see Like Nastya, whose real name is Anastasia Yuryevna Radzinskaya, develop an original animated preschool series for Disney Jr and Disney+, as well as live-action programming aimed at kids, tweens, teens and families.

With the deal, Disney will also gain access to a selection of Like Nastya’s existing library, with content to be distributed across Disney+ and other Disney-owned platforms.

Since launching in 2016, Like Nastya has gained more than 450 million subscribers across 25 YouTube channels spanning 22 languages, while the creator’s channels have generated more than 275 billion lifetime views.

The brand, created by Radzinskaia and her mother, has since expanded beyond YouTube into music, live entertainment, consumer products, gaming, licensing and brand partnerships.

Like Nastya’s most-watched video on YouTube has more than 1.1 billion views, while a dozen of the videos have more than 700 million views each.

The deal structure, whereby Disney will gain access to new content in addition to an existing library, mirrors partnerships struck by Netflix in recent months. These types of pacts are emblematic of how the SVoD services are looking to become broader entertainment offerings rather than focusing on premium scripted and unscripted content.

“I’m incredibly proud of Anastasiia and how Like Nastya has grown into a global brand loved by millions of families worldwide,” said Radzinskaia’s mother, Anna.

“Bringing together the worlds of Like Nastya and Disney is an exciting opportunity to create something truly special for a new generation.”