Netflix said it has signed a new multi-year contract with Sony Pictures Entertainment, under which it will exclusively get all Sony feature films in the US, following their theatrical and home video releases. The deal will start in 2022 and, according to Variety, follows a nearly two-year auction for the exclusive rights. Sony Pictures’ main pay-TV partner had been Starz, now owned by Lionsgate, since 2006. The new contract with Netflix is reportedly for five years. No financial details have been released.
Sony Entertainment titles such as Morbius, Uncharted, Where the Crawdads Sing, and Bullet Train will be among the initial 2022 offerings. These will be followed by the sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and several more films featuring Marvel characters, including future installments of Venom and Spiderman; and expected follow-ups for the Jumanji and Bad Boys franchises. Netflix will also license rights to select titles from Sony Entertainment’s movie library.
Also under the partnership, Netflix will commit to making direct-for-streaming films with the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group. These direct-to-streaming projects will be in addition to the first rights part of the agreement.
