Netflix has previously made deals with Dreamworks Animation and The Weinstein Company, but today they have secured what may be their biggest contract yet. Today the internet company has announced that they have made an agreement with The Walt Disney Company that will allow Netflix to stream new releases from all of the company's studios before they go to pay TV channels such as HBO, Showtime, and Starz. This deal includes all feature films made by Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios and Disneynature.
The only real unfortunate thing about this deal is that we still have to wait a while before it kicks in. Netflix has been given an exclusive contract, but it won't kick in until 2016 (meaning that we're going even beyond The Avengers 2). That said, Disney's direct-to-video releases will start appearing on Netflix next year.
But what about the here and now? The studio has also made a separate "multi-year catalog deal" that will allow Netflix to start immediately streaming movies including Dumbo, Pocahontas and Alice in Wondlerland (the press release doesn't specify which version, but presumably the animated title).
Said Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos in a statement, "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. 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."
As of now the only two titles that have been announced with release dates in 2016 are Dreamworks Animation's How To Train Your Dragon 3 and Kung Fu Panda 3, so it's hard to even see that far into the future. Hopefully we'll get a reminder about it on December 31, 2015.
