Netflix further strengthened its movie catalog on Thursday with a multi-year deal that makes it the new streaming home for Sony Pictures ’major releases in the United States.
Starting next year, Sony’s new movies will be streamed in the United States exclusively on Netflix, following their theatrical release. This includes films from popular franchises such as “Spiderman”, “Venom” and “Jumanji”, as well as 2022 releases including “Morbius”, “Where the Crawdads Sing”, “Uncharted” and “Bullet Train”.
The deal also gives Netflix the option to first review any movie the studio based in Culver City, California, chooses to stream directly.
In a world of fast-growing streaming services, the deal is of the kind it used to be for premium cable channels and is also a rarity. Sony is the only traditional Hollywood studio without its own streaming service. The Walt Disney Co. has Disney +, Warner Bros. has HBO Max, Universal Pictures has Peacock and Paramount Pictures has Paramount +.
Wednesday’s deal replaces an earlier one between Sony and Starz. Financial details were not disclosed. During the pandemic Sony sold on Netflix Kevin Hart’s “Fatherhood”, “The Mitchells Vs The Machines” and “Wish Dragon”. He also sent “Greyhound” to Apple TV + and “An American Pickle” to HBO Max.
“Sony Pictures is a great partner and we’re excited to expand our relationship through this forward-looking deal,” said Netflix global film director Scott Stuber. “This not only allows us to present its impressive catalog of beloved movie franchises and new intellectual property to Netflix in the United States, but it also sets a new source for our movie releases for Netflix moviegoers worldwide.”
In the increasingly competitive streaming landscape, Netflix and its great resources have aggressively expanded their film catalog. The streaming service plans to release more than one movie a week this year. He also recently acquired the rights to several sequels to “Knives Out” in a deal that reportedly exceeds $ 450 million.