Disney and Sony Reach Streaming Rights Agreement, but There’s a Catch
Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man will be slinging webs at Disney+ soon, thanks to a new deal between Sony Pictures and Marvel’s parent company.
A new licensing agreement was announced by the companies Wednesday. The deal means Sony-made Spider-Man movies will be available on Disney’s streaming services and TV channels. The agreement is effective through 2026, allowing the House of Mouse to stream theatrical movies released between 2022 and 2026.
The deal, which only covers the US market, means that Sony, which does not have its own streaming service, is making the most of the existing platforms. Between Netflix and Disney, Sony is expected to rake in about $3 billion in movie licensing over the life of the deals.
The deal is for a time frame known in the business as the “post-pay-one window.” That means Disney’s services and channels will get to stream and televise the new movies well after they’ve made their theatrical debuts and after spending a significant amount of time (18 months) on Netflix.
After their theatrical release, the titles will land on Netflix first, about nine months after the premiering in cinemas. Disney is edging out multiple platforms the windows previously reserved for ad-supported cable and broadcast airings of movies. The Netflix and Disney deals also run for the same license term.
Disney also noted that a significant amount of Sony’s library will be available on Disney-owned streamer Hulu starting in June.
“This agreement cements a key piece of our film distribution strategy,” Keith Le Goy, Sony Pictures’ president of worldwide distribution and networks, said in a statement, “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.”
Marvel fans should celebrate the deal, which also unlocks “a significant number” of Sony’s library titles. This includes not only the Spider-Man catalog, including the films featuring not only Tom Holland but Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, the animated Into the Spider-Verse and the Venom movie and everything yet to be released from those franchises. It’s not just Spidey, either; the deal includes the Jumanji and Hotel Transylvania franchises as well.
“This gives Disney enormous programming potential across its platforms and makes them key destinations for a robust collection of Spider-Man films,” the companies said in a statement.