Walt Disney Co. and Sony Pictures announced a new deal Wednesday for a “content licensing agreement” that will allow Sony’s theatrical releases to be shared on Disney platforms like Disney+ and Hulu.
The deal will allow older Sony films — like all of its “Spider-Man” movies — to be shared on Disney+ and Hulu in the future, too. Right now, none of the “Spider-Man” films are available on the Disney+ catalog of Marvel projects.
- The deal allows Sony to share theatrical releases from 2022 to 2026 on Disney.
However, Disney’s platforms will only have access after the “Pay 1 TV window.” This means that the films will arrive on Disney’s platforms after the movies have been released in theaters and after they’ve gone through the “Pay 1 TV window” — which is currently owned by Netflix.
- “That means new Sony films will hit theaters first, then paid rentals and purchases, then Netflix, and then finally head over to Disney platforms, possibly including Disney Plus,” according to The Verge.
- This means Disney won’t get the Spider-Man movies right away. But Disney will get them down the road, allowing them “to include them in its streaming catalogue over the long term — something that Disney arguably values more,” per The Verge.
Sony, Netflix strike a deal
Earlier in April, Sony and Netflix signed a deal that allowed Netflix to have exclusive rights to Sony’s new movies, as the Deseret News reported. This includes the upcoming third “Spider-Man” Marvel Cinematic Universe film.
- The deal replaces the current deal Sony has with Starz, which began back in 2005.
- The deal will also give Netflix a first-look at new Sony films to see if they present good opportunities for streaming-only releases, according to the Deseret News.