Netflix and Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) has announced a landmark global Pay-1 licensing deal. In the exclusive multi-year agreement, SPE’s feature films will stream on Netflix worldwide — an industry-first for Pay-1 — following their full theatrical and home entertainment windows.
Netflix Sony Pay-1 Deal Expands Global Streaming Access
Beginning later this year, the new global Pay-1 arrangement, including the individual territory rights, will be fully implemented in early 2029 on a global scale with Netflix. As part of this contract, Netflix will also purchase licensing rights for some SPE feature films and television library titles.
Currently, Netflix has Pay-1 rights to SPE feature films in select territories, including the United States, Germany, and the Southeast Asia region. Recent successful films from this current contract 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.”
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“Our partnership with Netflix has always been incredibly valuable,” said Paul Littmann, EVP of Global Distribution, Sony Pictures Television. “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.”
Upcoming Sony Films Coming to Netflix Under the Agreement
Titles of some of the initial SPE feature films that will stream on Netflix under the new license include The Nightingale, the eagerly awaited adaptation of Kristin Hannah’s international bestseller starring Dakota and Elle Fanning together for the first time; Sony Pictures Animation’s Buds; the live-action Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda; the final film in the acclaimed Spider-Verse trilogy, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse; and Sam Mendes, an Academy Award winner, and his audacious quartet of films about The Beatles.
