Disney Signs New Deal To Bring Disney+ Shows & Films To Netflix For A Limited Time

Before the launch of Disney+, Netflix had multiple deals in place to stream films and shows from the Walt Disney Company, but those largely ended early in the streaming wars, until Disney realised it was losing licensing income from older titles.

In a shock twist, Variety has revealed that Netflix has made a short-term licensing agreement with Disney to bring a number of shows and films to Netflix globally, as part of a promotional campaign to get audiences into some of Disney’s latest shows, such as “Percy Jackson And The Olympians”, “Will Trent”, “Shifting Gears” and others.

The first two seasons of the Disney+ Original series, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” will only be available on Netflix globally from October 4th 2026, for three months, to act as a way of getting new fans interested in the show, ahead of the season three premiere on November 20th 2026, on Disney+.

There will be a similar deal with “Will Trent”, with the first four seasons becoming available on Netflix globally from November 3rd 2026, just ahead of the season five premiere in early 2027.  Other titles heading towards Netflix will be the first two seasons of “Shifting Gears” on a global deal from December 1st 2026, ahead of the season three premiere in early 2027.

The first three seasons of “Tracker” will be available on Netflix internationally outside of the US on a multiyear deal from February 26th, 2027, just ahead of the fourth season premiere in early 2027.   This is one of the most popular shows in recent years on CBS and Paramount+ in the US, but it’s actually a 20th Television show, so it might be why Disney is happier getting additional revenue for it.

On the movie front, ahead of the release of the sixth “Ice Age” film, “Ice Age: Boiling Point” in February 2027, all five films, “Ice Age” (2002), “Ice Age: The Meltdown” (2006), “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” (2009), “Ice Age: Continental Drift” (2012) and “Ice Age: Collision Course” (2016), will be available on Netflix around the world from October 4th 2026 for just three months. 

Other films included in this new deal are “Soul”, “Elio”, “Raya and the Last Dragon” and other movies that will be available to stream on Netflix globally in 2027 (with title availability and launch dates varying by region).  These titles seem to be ones that maybe didn’t perform as well at the box office as Disney might have hoped, especially as some were released during the pandemic and aren’t considered “franchises”, which Disney doesn’t want to license out.

That’s not all of the content heading to Netflix from Disney, as some library content including “Felicity” (available on Netflix in the United States on October 7th, with an international release at a later time), “Revenge” (global), “Army Wives” (global), “Fresh Off the Boat” (U.S. and select regions) and “This Is Us” (internationally outside the U.S.).  

All of these titles will remain on Disney+ and Hulu, so it isn’t an exclusive deal, but it follows similar deals Disney has done with other international streaming companies like ITVX in the UK, by trying to get newer audiences interested in its top shows, while also giving a bump in viewership on the Nielsen charts and additional revenue.  

This is basically a win-win for Disney, as this gives them additional income from older films and shows, while more importantly promoting these shows to a much bigger audience, in the hope that some new fans of them will also subscribe to Disney+ to continue with more seasons.   

While it might seem like a step back to the days before Disney+, many major studios have returned to limited licensing in the past few years, and Disney has also licensed films from studios such as Universal and Paramount to boost engagement and viewership on Disney+ and Hulu.  However, on the surface, it also looks like Disney once again needs extra money from Netflix to boost its streaming business, but with some short-term licensing deals, this might be the best thing for both Disney and Netflix.   If you’re a Disney+/Hulu subscriber, this deal doesn’t change much, but for Netflix subscribers, it is great news to watch some of the newest and most popular shows.

What do you think of this move?  Let me know on social media!