Disney has signed a massive movie license agreement with Sony Pictures for the US that promises to bring Spider-Man and other Marvel properties to Disney Plus, starting with Sony’s release in 2022.
The comprehensive agreement, made by Sony’s 2026 theater magazine, also calls for Sony titles to run across Disney’s streaming and linear platforms, making it unprecedented in scope, as it features Disney Plus, Hulu, FX Networks, ABC, Disney Channels deck. and Freeform. It also contains a significant number of library titles that will be distributed among different stores.
The deal comes on the heels of Sony’s production deal with Netflix for titles in the lucrative Pay 1 window to the theater. The Disney deal covers subsequent TV windows, meaning the titles will only land on Netflix, about nine months after the start of a movie scene. For several platforms, Disney is looking for the windows previously reserved for ad-supported cable and movie broadcasting. The Netflix and Disney deals also apply to the same license term.
Like the Netflix deal, the Disney Treaty only covers the US market, despite the worldwide reach of streamers. The complicated deal is likely to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Sony for the duration of the deal, which will last about six years in total, given the delay time for Disney to access the movies. With Netflix and Disney deals combined, Sony is expected to earn about $ 3 billion in movie licensing.
The complicated deal was ruined by Chuck Saftler, Head of Business for ABC, Freeform, FX Networks and Acquisitions for Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, and Keith Le Goy, President of Global Distribution and Networks for Sony Pictures Entertainment. The agreement is another example of the entertainment industry recreating its business models to adapt to a new era of TV exhibition and distribution.
‘This distinctive, multi-year, platform agnostic agreement guarantees the team at Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution a tremendous amount of flexibility and a wide range of programming capabilities around Sony’s a rich series of award-winning action and family films about our direct and consumer services and linear channels, ‘said Chuck Saftler head of business operations for ABC, Freeform, FX Networks and acquisitions for Disney’s media distribution and entertainment. ‘It’s a win for fans who will benefit the ability to access the best content from two of Hollywood’s most productive studios in a variety of viewing platforms and experiences. ”
Le Goy noted that the deal was ‘groundbreaking’ and that the studio’s focus was on distributing his films as widely as possible.
“This groundbreaking agreement confirms the unique and lasting value of our films for film lovers and the platforms and networks they serve,” Le Goy said. ‘We are delighted to partner with Disney to deliver our titles to their viewers and subscribers. This agreement is an important part of our film distribution strategy maximize the value of each of our movies by making them available to consumers in all windows with a wide range of key partners. ”