Here’s some exciting news for fans of all things Walt Disney. The big ass studio which owns Pixar, Marvel and now Lucasfilm, have announced a new multi-year licensing agreement that will make ‘Netflix the exclusive U.S. subscription television service for first-run live-action and animated feature films from The Walt Disney Studios.’
I love Netflix, but I must add that this is a U.S. only deal at present, and will not go out to the multiple other territories that the streaming service operate in. The deal kicks off with films released theatrically in 2016, and will include new Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios and Disneynature titles, so yes, it’s a pretty big deal. No mention of Lucasfilm though, but there will be some of Disney’s back catalogue available to U.S. subscribers too. Apparently that includes DUMBO, POCAHONTAS and even ALICE IN WONDERLAND.
“Disney and Netflix have shared a long and mutually beneficial relationship and this deal will bring to our subscribers, in the first pay TV window, some of the highest-quality, most imaginative family films being made today,” said Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer at Netflix. “It’s a bold leap forward for Internet television and we are incredibly pleased and proud this iconic family brand is teaming with Netflix to make it happen.”
“With this cutting-edge agreement, we are thrilled to take our highly valued relationship with Netflix to the next level by adding Disney’s premier films to their programming line-up,” said Janice Marinelli, President, Disney-ABC Domestic Television. “Netflix continues to meet the demands of its subscribers in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, and we are delighted that they will have much earlier access to our top-quality and entertaining slate,” she added.
All of this kicks off on 2013. Great stuff. We’ll do a bit of digging to see if there is a planned expansion to other areas.
Source: Netflix
