Netflix’s expanded Sony deal includes streaming rights to the Legend of Zelda movie 📺⚔️🍿

Netflix expands Sony deal to secure exclusive streaming rights for the live-action Legend of Zelda movie and The Beatles biopics. Watch them first on Netflix!

#Netflix

Under the terms of a new joint agreement 🤝, films from Sony Pictures Entertainment will make their streaming debut exclusively on Netflix. This deal significantly expands upon the rights Netflix previously held for Sony films within the US 🇺🇸, positioning the service as the premier destination for high-profile upcoming projects. Notably, subscribers will be the first to stream the highly anticipated live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda 🛡️, as well as a planned quartet of biopics centering on The Beatles 🎸.

This “Pay-1” window guarantees that Sony’s films will stream globally 🌎 on Netflix immediately following their theatrical and video-on-demand releases 🎬. Beyond new titles, the partnership includes licensing for an undisclosed number of films and television series from Sony’s extensive back catalog to help bolster Netflix’s library 📚. According to the streaming giant, this new arrangement “will roll out gradually” ⏳ as rights clear throughout the year, with full availability targeted for 2029 🗓️. While neither company specified the exact duration of the partnership, they have described it as a “multi-year agreement.”

The collaboration between Netflix and Sony has already proven fruitful 📈. Movies like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 🕷️, Uncharted 🗺️, and Anyone But You have enjoyed massive second lives on the streaming service. The synergy has worked in reverse as well; in the case of KPop Demon Hunters 🎤, Netflix was able to leverage a surprise Sony Animation streaming hit into a profitable theatrical run. To secure this relationship for the next few years, Variety reports that Netflix is paying upwards of $7 billion—a price the company clearly deems worth the investment 💰.

This strategy mirrors Netflix’s existing deal with Universal, which brought other Nintendo adaptations, such as The Super Mario Bros Movie 🍄, to the platform. However, the company appears to have ambitions beyond simple licensing: it is reportedly eyeing a massive $82.7 billion acquisition of Warner Bros 🏢. The potential merger faces hurdles 🚧, as Paramount is now suing Warner Bros. Discovery ⚖️, alleging that its own competing bid for the company was ignored in an effort to prevent the deal from going through.