Disney inks licensing deal with Sony for Spider-Man streaming & more!
Just a few weeks after the studio first signed a major deal with Netflix for exclusive first-pay window licensing opportunities on its 2022 theatrical film slate, Sony and Disney have signed a massive multi-year content licensing agreement for U.S. streaming and TV rights for new theatrical releases across all of the House of Mouse’s platforms, namely Spider-Man and all of Sony Pictures’ Universe of Marvel Characters films.
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The new deal will cover all theatrical releases from 2022-2026 films following its Pay 1 TV window at Netflix, granting the House of Mouse the opportunity to scoop up the titles after they hit the former streaming platform, where they will first debut approximately nine months after their theatrical release.
“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,” 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, said in a statement. “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.”
The agreement builds upon the companies’ prior arrangement which saw SPE movies licensed to FX in the post-Pay 1 TV window and will also grants rights to a significant number of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s iconic library titles, ranging from the Jumanji and Hotel Transylvania franchises to Sony Pictures’ Universe of Marvel Characters films, including Spider-Man. This gives Disney enormous programming potential across its platforms and makes them key destinations for a robust collection of Spider-Man films. Notably, the agreement provides Hulu access to a significant number of library titles beginning as early as this June.
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“This groundbreaking agreement reconfirms the unique and enduring value of our movies to film lovers and the platforms and networks that serve them,” Keith Le Goy, President of Worldwide Distribution and Networks at Sony Pictures Entertainment, said in a statement. “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.”
Sony and the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s webslinging franchise is set to return for its third installment in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which is set to hit theaters on December 17 and breaking the barriers between the MCU and Sony’s current Marvel series and past franchises centered on the iconic hero.
