Disney Licenses Several Movies & Series to Netflix in Shrewd Move
As combatants search for new tactics in the ongoing ‘streaming war,’ The Walt Disney Company has decided that partnerships may be the way to go.
Variety’s Todd Spangler reports that Disney has entered “into an expansive new content licensing agreement” with Netflix. The deal will see several Disney-owned films and series stream on Netflix “for varying periods of times on a nonexclusive basis.”
Photo: Disney/Netflix
The deal primarily relates to non-core Disney media, though select “non-franchised Disney-branded films from Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar” will be included.
Disney & Netflix Strike New Licensing Agreement
Photo: Disney
You’ll start finding additional Disney-owned content on Netflix as soon as next week. The first two seasons of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, a Disney+ series, will debut on the platform on October 4, as will all five Ice Age films.
Spangler notes that these titles, in particular, are streaming on Netflix to promote imminent Disney projects. The third season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians will debut on Disney+ on November 20, while the 20th Century-produced Ice Age: Boiling Point will hit theaters next February.
Photo: Disney
Percy Jackson and the Olympians and the Ice Age films will stream on Netflix for three months.
Films like Soul, Elio, and Raya and the Last Dragon will also be licensed to Netflix, with “title availability and launch dates varying by region.”
Photo: Pixar
Other titles included in the deal include:
- Will Trent
- Shifting Gears
- Tracker
- Felicity
- Revenge
- Army Wives
- Fresh Off the Boat
- This Is Us
Photo: Netflix
Not all titles will be available in all regions
This agreement is, again, non-exclusive, meaning these films and series will continue to stream on Disney+ and/or Hulu while also appearing on Netflix.
A Shrewd Move
Photo Credit: Engadget
This move may seem counterproductive on its face: why would Disney license content to a competitor?
It’s actually a rather shrewd move, however. Netflix has over 325 million paid subscribers worldwide, more than double Disney+’s estimated total.
Photo: Disney+ Press
Titles like Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Ice Age will promote upcoming content customers will need to pay Disney to see, whether it be at home or in the theater. Meanwhile, Netflix is paying Disney to host these titles on a non-exclusive basis.
Only time will tell if this agreement actually turns out to be counterproductive, but one can see the logic.
Photo: Disney
As always, be sure to keep an eye on MickeyBlog for the latest on all things Disney.
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Feature Image Credit: Disney
