Most major Hollywood studios have made their play in streaming, with many launching their own branded service such as The Walt Disney Company with Disney+ and Hulu, AT&T WarnerMedia with HBO Max, Comcast NBC Universal with Peacock, and, most recently, Viacom CBS with Paramount+. The investment required to create and maintain a mass-market streaming service is enormous, and many industry watchers wonder how the streaming wars will shake out once consumers have made their decisions on which ones and how many to subscribe to.
Recognizing these factors, Sony Pictures has decided to expand its partnership with Netflix, making it the exclusive home online for Sony features beginning in 2022. Netflix will acquire online distribution rights for Sony’s popular superhero franchises such as Spider-Man and Venom, as well as popular titles from the Sony library, including fan favourite action comedies such as Jumanji and Bad Boys. Both companies benefit from the arrangement, with Sony tapping into Netflix’s financial resources and 200M+ subscriber base, while Netflix bolsters its content library with established, crowd-pleasing film franchises.