Disney licenses Ice Age, Percy Jackson, and TV catalogue to Netflix in non-exclusive streaming pact

Terms of the non-exclusive licensing agreement

Disney Entertainment and Netflix have finalized a distribution pact to license a selection of Disney library titles and current television series to Netflix on a non-exclusive basis. The arrangement permits Netflix, which holds a customer base of over 325 million subscribers, to stream Disney-owned programming while those titles remain accessible on Disney+ and Hulu. Rather than selling exclusive rights, Disney is monetizing existing assets through licensing fees while using Netflix's reach. Disney previously announced in 2017 that it would pull its movies from Netflix to build its own streaming platform, but the current transaction adopts a selective syndication model that maintains Disney-branded exclusivity for its core franchise assets.

Promotional windows for upcoming releases

A primary component of the agreement involves temporary promotional windows intended to generate interest ahead of upcoming Disney releases. Beginning 4 October 2026, the first two seasons of the Disney+ original series "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" will stream globally on Netflix for a three-month period. This window leads directly into the exclusive premiere of season three on Disney+ on 20 November 2026. On that same 4 October date, all five existing theatrical films in the 20th Century Studios "Ice Age" franchise will arrive on Netflix worldwide for three months. The package includes "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), preparing viewers for the sixth installment, "Ice Age: Boiling Point", which opens in theaters on 5 February 2027.

Broadcast television series and archive library

The licensing deal also incorporates several current broadcast television series produced by 20th Television under multiyear terms. The first four seasons of the crime drama "Will Trent" will arrive globally on Netflix on 3 November 2026, ahead of the fifth season's television broadcast on ABC in early 2027. The comedy series "Shifting Gears" will have its first two seasons released on Netflix on 1 December 2026 in the United States and internationally in January 2027, before season three premieres on ABC on 7 January 2027. For the action drama "Tracker", starring Justin Hartley, seasons one through three will stream on Netflix outside the United States starting 26 February 2027, as season four begins airing on CBS on 4 October 2026. Disney is also adding older catalogue titles to Netflix, releasing "Felicity" on 7 October 2026 in the United States, with "Revenge", "Army Wives", "Fresh Off the Boat", and "This Is Us" scheduled across various regional markets.

Standalone animated films and franchise limits

The agreement maintains strict limits around Disney's premier intellectual property, completely excluding franchised releases from Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and Disney Animation. Instead, Disney is making available selected standalone animated feature films beginning in early 2027. Confirmed animated releases include Pixar's Academy Award-winning film "Soul" and "Elio", along with "Raya and the Last Dragon" from Walt Disney Animation Studios, though local launch dates and catalogue availability will vary by country. These animated titles and television shows will complement existing Disney productions already streaming on Netflix under separate arrangements, including "Grey's Anatomy", "Arrested Development", "Scandal", and "Black-ish".