Just a few weeks ago, Sony Pictures entered into an agreement with Netflix for the exclusive streaming rights for its theatrical stream releases starting in 2022, as well as catalog titles and some new original articles they will be collaborating to produce. Now Disney has also announced a licensing agreement with Sony Pictures for theatrical releases from 2022 to 2026, as well as a number of older catalog titles.
So, what’s going on? The Netflix agreement guarantees exclusive US rights for the period after the movies are released and on Blu-ray / video on demand, approximately nine months after it hits theaters. Disney’s deal begins after that, for the window where movies are usually on cable TV or broadcast networks with ads (if Deadline mention, this agreement follows a similar agreement that Sony had with the now Disney network FX).
In addition to new movies, the deal also guarantees streaming rights for older movies, including Spider-Man movies missing from the MCU on Disney + and in the Spider-Verse (after their exclusivity on Netflix expired). In addition to Disney + and the company’s various cable networks, it also covers Hulu and a comment in the press release that it will add a “significant number of library titles” starting in June.
There is no word on how much money will change hands, but Sony Pictures CEO Keith Le Goy said in a statement: ‘This agreement is an important part of our film distribution strategy, which is to maximize value of each of our movies, by making them available to consumers in all windows with a wide range of key partners.
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