Netflix and The Walt Disney Company struck a multi-year licensing deal making Netflix the exclusive U.S. subscription television service for first-run live-action and animated feature films from The Walt Disney Studios.
Under the agreement, announced Dec. 4, Netflix members will be able to watch new Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios and Disneynature titles instantly over the top, beginning with 2016 theatrically released features.
The agreement also covers new releases of Disney direct-to-video content, which will be available to Netflix subscribers beginning next year. A separate agreement covers multi-year access to Disney’s catalog, giving Netflix subscribers access to movies like “Dumbo” and “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," saidTed 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."
Since its announcement earlier this month, the deal has been described as a breakthrough for Netflix, which has sought to add more recent releases to its consumer offering.
