Disney/Netflix deal

[Jumpman]

Question for anyone in the know when it comes to Netflix, when Disney signed that deal with Netflix that begins in 2016, how much catalog content is Netflix going to have from Star Wars, Marvel Studios, Disney Animation, and Pixar Animation?

Like, as soon as the deal takes immediate affect, will we get a chance to watch all the Marvel films from Iron Man to Age of Ultron or what?

[fatediesel]

I don't know for certain, but I think there's a good chance that Netflix won't have the first six Star Wars movies or Phase One of the Marvel movies because I believe Fox still owns the video rights to Star Wars and that Paramount still owns the video rights to the Phase One movies.

[Scorpion Soldier]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

I don't know for certain, but I think there's a good chance that Netflix won't have the first six Star Wars movies or Phase One of the Marvel movies because I believe Fox still owns the video rights to Star Wars and that Paramount still owns the video rights to the Phase One movies.

Disney/Marvel own the right to all of the films with the exception of The Incredible Hulk. The re-issues of all Paramount-distributed Marvel films still have their logo on it, but they're distributed by Disney.

[steve_dave]

Fox and Disney share digital distribution of The Star Wars films. But Lucasfilm still has final say on if they can be offered via streaming digital. Considering Fox and Paramount both have catalog titles up on Netflix with nothing from Lucasfilm, I doubt any Star Wars films will be available.

Now, according to the terms of the deal: Netflix will have access Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation, Marvel, and DisneyNature. It did actually start in 2012 with Disney's direct to video releases being added to Netflix's streaming library. In 2016, Netflix's access will expand to theatrically released films from those four Walt Disney studios.

[Jett Rink]

Forget Marvel and Star Wars, bring on classic Disney. Candleshoe, Watcher in the Woods, Freaky Friday, etc.

[disneywildcat]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

Question for anyone in the know when it comes to Netflix, when Disney signed that deal with Netflix that begins in 2016, how much catalog content is Netflix going to have from Star Wars, Marvel Studios, Disney Animation, and Pixar Animation?

Like, as soon as the deal takes immediate affect, will we get a chance to watch all the Marvel films from Iron Man to Age of Ultron or what?

This is how Disney's recent SEC filing states how the pay TV rights work.

Pay Television (Pay 1) — There are generally three pay television windows. The first window is generally eighteen months in duration and follows the PPV/VOD window. The Company has licensed exclusive domestic pay television rights to substantially all films released theatrically through calendar year 2015 under the Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar and Touchstone Pictures banners, along with films released under the Marvel banner starting with Iron Man 3 to the Starz pay television service. DreamWorks titles distributed by the Company are licensed to Showtime under a separate agreement.

Free Television (Free 1) — The Pay 1 window is followed by a television window that may last up to 84 months. Motion pictures are usually sold in the Free 1 window to major broadcast networks, including ABC, and basic cable services.

Pay Television 2 (Pay 2) and Free Television 2 (Free 2) — In the U.S., Free 1 is generally followed by a twelve-month Pay 2 window under our license arrangements with Starz and Showtime, and then by a Free 2 window that generally lasts up to 84 months. Packages of the Company’s feature films have been licensed for broadcast under multi-year agreements within the Free 2 window. The Free 2 window is a syndication window where films are licensed both to basic cable networks, subscription video on demand (SVOD) services and to third-party television station groups.

Pay Television 3 (Pay 3) and Free Television 3 (Free 3) — In the U.S., Free 2 is generally followed by a seven-month Pay 3 window under our license arrangements with Starz and Showtime, and then by a Free 3 window. Packages of the Company’s feature films have been licensed for broadcast under multi-year agreements within the Free 3 window. The Free 3 window is a syndication window where films are licensed to basic cable networks and SVOD services.

Following the conclusion of Starz’s exclusive domestic Pay 1, Pay 2 and Pay 3 television rights for films released theatrically through the end of calendar year 2015, Netflix will have exclusive domestic pay television rights for the Pay 1 and Pay 2 windows for films released theatrically through calendar year 2018.

Therefore, don't expect any recent films released before 2016 to be on Netflix. Marvel's Phase Two films (Iron Man 3 thru Ant-Man), Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Inside Out, etc. will definitely be on Starz for quite some time.

However, there should be more older content due to the Netflix deal, and films released in 2016 to 2018 (Captain America: Civil War, Zootopia, etc.) will have their first run pay TV windows on Netflix.

[disneywildcat]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

I don't know for certain, but I think there's a good chance that Netflix won't have the first six Star Wars movies or Phase One of the Marvel movies because I believe Fox still owns the video rights to Star Wars and that Paramount still owns the video rights to the Phase One movies.

While Fox still owns the full distribution rights to A New Hope and the theatrical and home video rights to the rest of the films, Lucasfilm controls the television rights of all of the Star Wars films except A New Hope.

From Disney's SEC filing:

Prior to the Company’s acquisition, Lucasfilm produced six Star Wars films (Episodes 1 through 6). Lucasfilm retained the rights to consumer products related to all of those films and the rights related to television and electronic distribution formats for all of those films, with the exception of the rights for Episode 4, which are owned by a third-party studio. All of the films are distributed by a third-party studio in the theatrical and home entertainment markets. The theatrical and home entertainment distribution rights for these films revert back to Lucasfilm in May 2020 with the exception of Episode 4, for which these distribution rights are retained in perpetuity by the third-party studio.

[terp_fan99]

Does this mean we might get the entire Muppet Show on there? They never did release the last two seasons on dvd.

[disneywildcat]

Originally Posted by terp_fan99

Does this mean we might get the entire Muppet Show on there? They never did release the last two seasons on dvd.

That's more on the TV content side of things rather than the theatrical film content side of things (which this deal addresses).