The TikTok Deal Is Done. What Now for Agencies, D2C, and Local Businesses?

For years, the biggest question around TikTok wasn’t about performance — it was about survival.

Would it get banned?
Would brands be forced to pivot overnight?
Was it worth building on something that might disappear?

That question is now answered.

On January 23, 2026, TikTok finalized a US‑led ownership deal headed by Oracle, bringing the platform into compliance with federal law that required Chinese parent company ByteDance to reduce its ownership stake below 20%. The result: TikTok avoids a nationwide ban and secures its future in the US market.

In short: TikTok isn’t going anywhere.

That matters because it removes the last real excuse for not taking the platform seriously.

Below is a quick breakdown of the deal, followed by what it means now for agencies, D2C brands, and local businesses.

A Quick Breakdown of the TikTok Deal (What Actually Happened)

TikTok’s US operations were acquired by a US‑led consortium, with Oracle in a leading role

ByteDance reduced its ownership to under 20%

The deal complies with the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act

TikTok remains fully operational and available in the US

• The threat of a nationwide ban has been removed (for the foreseeable future)
• The headline takeaway: regulatory uncertainty is gone. TikTok is now a stable, long‑term platform.

What This Means Now

The deal doesn’t just protect TikTok it changes how brands should approach it.

This is where the opportunity (and the pressure) starts.

What Now for Marketing Agencies

If TikTok is still an add‑on service, you’re behind.

Action Items:

Treat TikTok as its own channel, not a Meta extension

• Stop reposting Reels and calling it a strategy
• Build repeatable content systems (not one‑off “viral” videos)
• Focus on creative performance before media buying
• Set expectations early: competition and CPMs will rise
• Agencies that sell strategy and systems will win. Agencies that sell execution alone will struggle.

What Now for D2C Brands

TikTok is no longer experimental it’s infrastructure.

Action Items:

Separate TikTok creative from Meta creative completely

• Build for attention first, conversion second
• Post consistently or don’t expect results
• Invest in creators and UGC early
• Stop overproducing and underposting
• If you don’t build a content engine, you’ll always be chasing performance instead of owning it.

What Now for Local Businesses

This is where most people are asleep and where the biggest upside still exists.

Action Items:

Start posting now, not “when it’s perfect”

• Say your city and service out loud in videos
• Show real work: before/after, day‑in‑the‑life, explanations
• Post 3 times per week consistently
• Treat TikTok like modern word‑of‑mouth
• Most local competitors still aren’t showing up. That won’t last forever.

The Real Takeaway

TikTok’s US deal removes uncertainty but it also removes excuses.

The people who win from here aren’t the ones debating TikTok.
They’re the ones already building while everyone else catches up.