Netflix has signed a major deal with The Walt Disney Company that will give it exclusive access to new cinema releases from Disney, Pixar and Marvel, starting in 2016.
The streaming service replaces Starz as the House of Mouse’s lead partner in the US market.
In recent years Disney has found hits with Pocahontas (pictured), The Nightmare Before Christmas and the Pirates of the Caribbean series.
“For us, this is a really big deal – for the first time in our largest market – new Disney movies will be available when and where you want to watch them on Netflix rather than on a premium cable channel,” said Pauline Fischer, vice president, content acquisition, Netflix.
The agreement will put pressure on the cost of exclusive premium content in a market where Disney is often seen as a first mover.
Netflix already runs non-theatrical movies featuring popular Disney characters Tinkerbell, Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh. It also streams content from Disney Channel, ABC Family and Disney XD.
