Netflix cuts deal to carry Disney films
Posted on December 04, 2012 at 16:15 PM EST
Netflix cuts deal to carry Disney films Bloomberg Copyright 2012 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Updated 5:35 p.m., Tuesday, December 4, 2012 Netflix has signed a multiyear accord to carry Walt Disney's animated and live-action films, marking the first time a major studio has bypassed traditional cable TV outlets for an online distributor. The deal is a coup for Netflix Chief Executive Officer Reed Hastings, who will have the opportunity to provide U.S. subscribers with exclusive access to movies from Pixar, Marvel and Disney. Disney becomes the first major Hollywood studio to forgo a traditional premium cable TV network and show newer releases on TV for the first time through a subscription Internet service. Netflix will have exclusive U.S. rights to offer the first-run movies through its streaming service during the period normally reserved for premium TV networks such as HBO, Starz and Showtime.