Netflix and Sony Pictures Entertainment have announced a landmark global Pay-1 licensing agreement that will make Netflix the exclusive Pay-1 streaming destination for Sony Pictures’ feature films worldwide, following their full theatrical and home entertainment runs.
The multi-year deal marks the first time a Pay-1 agreement has been structured with global reach from the outset. Under the arrangement, Sony Pictures’ films will stream on Netflix across all territories as regional rights become available, with a full worldwide rollout expected by early 2029. The phased launch will begin later this year.
As part of the expanded partnership, Netflix will also license select Sony Pictures feature film and television library titles, broadening access to the studio’s catalogue beyond new theatrical releases.
Netflix already holds Pay-1 rights to Sony Pictures’ films in several territories, including the United States, Germany and parts of Southeast Asia. Titles from the current agreement include Uncharted, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, It Ends With Us, Anyone But You and Venom: The Last Dance.
“Our members all over the world love movies and giving them exclusive access to Sony’s much loved films adds incredible value to their subscriptions,” said Lauren Smith, Vice President of Licensing and Programming Strategy at Netflix. “Sony’s impressive slate of iconic film franchises like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and originals like Anyone But You have been popular with our U.S. audience and now we’re excited to expand that offering to our members all around the world.”
Paul Littmann, EVP of Global Distribution at Sony Pictures Television, described the agreement as a significant evolution of the long-running partnership. “Our partnership with Netflix has always been incredibly valuable,” he said. “This new Pay-1 deal takes that partnership to the next level and reinforces the enduring appeal of our theatrical releases to Netflix’s global audience. It also further underscores the strength of our independence and unique ability to create meaningful opportunities that benefit our creative stakeholders, consumers, and world-class partners.”
Among the first Sony Pictures titles slated to stream on Netflix under the new deal are The Nightingale, the adaptation of Kristin Hannah’s bestselling novel starring Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanning together for the first time; Sony Pictures Animation’s Buds; Nintendo’s live-action The Legend of Zelda; Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, which concludes the Spider-Verse trilogy; and an ambitious quartet of Beatles films directed by Academy Award-winner Sam Mendes.
The agreement positions Netflix as Sony Pictures’ primary global Pay-1 streaming partner and reflects the continued shift toward large-scale international licensing strategies as studios and streamers seek to maximise the worldwide value of major theatrical releases.
About Author
Leave a Reply