Netflix and Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) have signed a landmark global Pay-1 licensing agreement, creating a first-of-its-kind deal that brings worldwide streaming rights under a single, multi-year framework.
Under the exclusive arrangement, Sony Pictures’ feature films will stream on Netflix globally after completing their theatrical and home entertainment windows. The rollout will begin later this year as individual market rights become available, with full global coverage expected by early 2029.
In addition to new theatrical releases, the agreement also includes select titles from Sony Pictures Entertainment’s film and television library, further expanding Netflix’s catalogue across markets.
Netflix already holds Pay-1 rights for Sony Pictures films in select territories such as the United States, Germany and parts of Southeast Asia. Current titles available under existing agreements include Uncharted, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, It Ends With Us, Anyone But You, and Venom: The Last Dance. The new deal significantly broadens this footprint, consolidating rights into a unified global structure.
Commenting on the partnership, Lauren Smith, vice president of licensing and programming strategy at Netflix, said the agreement would enhance the platform’s global offering by giving subscribers expanded access to Sony’s theatrical slate across multiple regions.
Paul Littmann, executive vice president of global distribution at Sony Pictures Television, noted that the expanded Pay-1 arrangement builds on the long-standing relationship between the two companies and reflects sustained global demand for Sony’s films.
Among the first titles expected to stream on Netflix under the new agreement are The Nightingale, Sony Pictures Animation’s Buds, Nintendo’s live-action The Legend of Zelda, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, and Sam Mendes’ upcoming quartet of The Beatles films.
