Disney and Sony Pictures Entertainment have agreed to a multiyear licensing deal that will grant Disney rights to Sony’s upcoming films following their streaming run on Netflix.
Earlier this month, Sony and Netflix agreed to a streaming deal that sees Netflix replace Starz as the place for Sony films to premiere after their theatrical and home entertainment runs. Like Netflix, the Disney deal announced Wednesday covers Sony releases from 2022 to 2026. Disney has access to Sony’s films following Netflix’s exclusive window; so-called “Pay-1 windows” typically last for 18 months.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Tentpoles such as “Morbius,” “Uncharted,” “Where the Crawdads Sing,” and “Bullet Train” will be among the initial 2022 offerings. Disney will have the ability to make the films available across its linear TV networks as well as streaming services including Disney+.
The deal also gives Disney access to Sony library titles, including its “Spider-Man” films. Though they’re part of the MCU, the Tom Holland-led “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and “Spider-Man: Far From Home” have not been available on Disney+. It is not immediately clear which library titles will be available on which streaming service, but Hulu will start getting “a significant number” of titles beginning in June.
“This landmark multiyear, platform agnostic agreement guarantees the team at Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution a tremendous amount of flexibility and breadth of programming possibilities to leverage Sony’s rich slate of award-winning action and family films across our direct-to-consumer services and linear channels,” said Chuck Saftler, head of Business Operations for ABC, Freeform, FX Networks, and Acquisitions in DMED’s Networks division, who played a key role in the negotiations. “This is a win for fans, who will benefit from the ability to access the very best content from two of Hollywood’s most prolific studios across a multitude of viewing platforms and experiences.”
“This groundbreaking agreement reconfirms the unique and enduring value of our movies to film lovers and the platforms and networks that serve them,” said Keith Le Goy, president, Worldwide Distribution and Networks, Sony Pictures Entertainment. “We are thrilled to team up with Disney on delivering our titles to their viewers and subscribers. This agreement cements a key piece of our film distribution strategy, which is to maximize the value of each of our films, by making them available to consumers across all windows with a wide range of key partners.”