If there is anyone who knows how to make the art of the entertainment deal work, it would have to be Disney. Today, the Mouse House worked out an unprecedented agreement with Sony, which will give them U.S. streaming and TV rights to Sony Pictures’ new theatrical releases across Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution’s vast portfolio of platforms, including its streaming services Disney+ and Hulu, as well as linear entertainment networks including ABC, Disney Channels, Freeform, FX and National Geographic.
The deal covers theatrical releases from 2022-2026 and begins for each film following its Pay 1 TV window. The agreement builds upon the companies’ prior arrangement, which saw SPE movies licensed to FX in the post-Pay 1 TV window. “Pay 1” TV is the premium cable channels like HBO and Showtime, as well as subscription services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and HBOMax.
According to the press release, the deal gives Disney access deal grants rights to a significant number of SPE’s iconic library titles, ranging from the “Jumanji” and “Hotel Transylvania” franchises to Sony Pictures’ Universe of Marvel Characters films, including Spider-Man.
While Disney itself won’t have immediate access to these films until 2022, the agreement provides Hulu access to a significant number of library titles beginning as early as this June. One this is for sure, it will be easier to watch the entire MCU easier when “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” and “Spider-man: No Way Home” is available on one streaming platform.
“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,” said Chuck Saftler, head of Business Operations for ABC, Freeform, FX Networks, and Acquisitions in DMED’s Networks division, who played a key role in the negotiations. “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.”
“This groundbreaking agreement reconfirms the unique and enduring value of our movies to film lovers and the platforms and networks that serve them,” said Keith Le Goy, president, Worldwide Distribution and Networks, Sony Pictures Entertainment. “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.”
