In a blog post on its official site,
Netflix NFLX -1.13% revealed the seeds it planted back in 2012 will finally come to fruition later this year. Starting in September, the contract between the streaming platform and Disney will go into effect, with Netflix holding the exclusive U.S. rights to Disney's films. This includes not just films under the Disney brand, but also its Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Pixar subsidiaries.
The deal kicking in means that other platforms like Amazon
Prime and Starz, which currently licenses multiple Disney titles, will no longer carry Disney's new releases.
Audiences will still be able to stream previous Disney umbrella releases, but moving forward, all future releases from Captain America: Civil War onward will only be able to be viewed on Netflix. The same will apply for films under Disney's other subsidiaries, such as Zootopia, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. It was a seemingly a karmic twist of fate that happened when the initial deal was signed: Though Netflix's previous contract with Starz expired in 2012 when negotiations fell apart, it struck the deal with Disney shortly thereafter.
The Netflix-Disney deal was the first time a major studio chose to eschew a cable service for its releases in favor of going directly to online streaming for pay distribution post-release. The deal was estimated to have cost Netflix about $300 million in total, a hefty sum. But Netflix and Disney have gotten more than cozy in the past year, with Netflix's original properties centering around two Marvel series in
Daredevil and
Jessica Jones, with a
Luke Cage,
Iron Fist, and
Punisher series on the way, along with a
Defenders ensemble movie.
So far, it's a partnership that has worked out advantageously for both parties. While Netflix famously does not disclose its viewing figures, San Diego-based Luth Research conducted an independent study last year and determined an estimated 10.7% of Netflix's subscribers streamed
Daredevil, far more than Netflix's other popular original properties in
House of Cards and
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
PRETTY MUCH DISNEY FILMS RELEASED 2016 AND ON
The deal does come with one stipulation: Netflix’s rights in the United States only apply to releases from the studio beginning in 2016. This means it’s primarily newer Disney films that are available to stream on Netflix, such as the ones listed below.
1. Zootopia
2. The Jungle Book
3. Captain America: Civil War
4. Finding Dory
5. Doctor Strange
6. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
7.
Moana
8. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
9. Beauty and the Beast
10. Thor: Ragnarok