Netflix and Sony Pictures Entertainment announced a new agreement granting Netflix first-to-stream rights for Sony films worldwide. The deal expands Netflix’s prior exclusive U.S. rights and covers upcoming releases such as the live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda and four biopics about The Beatles.
Sony films will become available on Netflix during the Pay-1 window, defined as the initial streaming period following theatrical release and video-on-demand distribution. This arrangement ensures Netflix serves as the primary platform for these titles globally after their initial exhibition phases conclude.
In addition to new releases, Netflix will license an unspecified quantity of films and television shows from Sony Pictures’ extensive back catalog. This addition aims to enhance Netflix’s content library by incorporating established titles from Sony’s historical output.
The implementation of the agreement occurs progressively as existing licensing rights expire or become available over time. Netflix indicated that the new arrangement will roll out gradually throughout the year, achieving complete availability by sometime in 2029.
Both companies characterized the pact as a multi-year agreement but withheld details on its precise duration. This extension builds on their established collaboration, which has delivered measurable viewership gains for select Sony titles on the platform.
Previous Sony releases have performed strongly on Netflix. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Uncharted, and Anyone But You each attracted substantial audiences during their streaming tenures, extending their commercial reach beyond initial theatrical and home video windows.
A notable example involves KPop Demon Hunters, a Sony Animation production that originated as a streaming success on Netflix. The platform subsequently facilitated its transition to a theatrical release, resulting in profitability for the title.
Variety reports that Netflix will compensate Sony more than $7 billion under this deal. Such financial commitment underscores the value placed on securing ongoing access to Sony’s production slate.
Netflix maintains a comparable licensing agreement with Universal, which has introduced Nintendo-related adaptations to the service, including The Super Mario Bros. Movie. This parallel partnership similarly prioritizes post-theatrical streaming rights for Universal content.
Separate from licensing expansions, Netflix pursues a major acquisition: the purchase of Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion. Paramount has initiated legal action against Warner Bros. Discovery, alleging disregard of its competing bid for Warner Bros. and seeking to obstruct the transaction.
