Although Sony and Netflix recently announced a new deal which would grant the streaming service access to Sony titles following their theatrical releases, it seems Sony hasn’t stopped there. In fact, it looks like Sony has now made a deal for Disney to take their titles after they’ve finished their runs on Netflix. This could allow projects like the Spider-Man films to wind up on Disney Plus for the first time. The deal will include Sony’s theatrical releases spanning from 2022 all the way to 2026.
As revealed by Chuck Saftler, head of Business Operations for ABC, Freeform, FX Networks, and Acquisitions in DMED’s Network division via DMED:
“This landmark multi-year, 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.”
He further added:
“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.”
Meanwhile, Keith Le Goy, president, Worldwide Distribution and Networks, Sony Pictures Entertainment had this statement to give:
“This groundbreaking agreement reconfirms the unique and enduring value of our movies to film lovers and the platforms and networks that serve them. 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.”
With the wide variety of products distributed by Sony, not just including the Spider-Man films and associated spin-offs but also franchises like Jumanji and Hotel Transylvania, it’s a very massive deal. As further noted by the press release:
Disney will have “enormous programming potential across its platforms and makes them key destinations for a robust collection of Spider-Man films. Notably, the agreement provides Hulu access to a significant number of library titles beginning as early as this June.”
It looks like Sony, Netflix, and Disney will all be benefitting from this massive new streaming deal. There’s a wide variety of variables in this pact to consider, but they all seem good for both fans and the studios involved.