Netflix significantly strengthened its film catalogue after securing worldwide streaming access to Sony Pictures movies once they have completed their cinema and pay-per-view windows. The new arrangement gives Netflix access to future releases from one of Hollywood’s largest studios and broadens an existing relationship between the two companies.

The multi-year agreement, revealed this week, built on a partnership first formed in 2021. That earlier deal covered post-theatrical streaming rights in the United States, Germany and parts of Asia. Under the expanded terms, Sony films will begin rolling out on Netflix across global markets as local rights expire, with full worldwide availability expected by early 2029.

In addition to new releases, Netflix gained the ability to license selected titles from Sony’s extensive film and television archive. This includes major franchises such as Spider-Man and Jumanji, adding further depth to Netflix’s long-term content offering.

People familiar with the agreement said the deal was valued at approximately $A10.5 billion and will run through to 2032. While the financial terms were not publicly disclosed, the scale of the agreement reflected Netflix’s continued focus on securing premium theatrical content to support subscriber growth and retention.

The expanded Sony deal followed other major studio agreements signed by Netflix in recent years. In 2024, the company widened its arrangement with NBCUniversal, adding live-action films to an existing agreement covering animated releases from DreamWorks Animation and Illumination. From 2027, selected live-action titles from Universal Pictures and Focus Features are expected to arrive on Netflix within eight months of their cinema debut.

Netflix closed 2024 with 301.6 million subscribers worldwide and was due to report its fourth-quarter financial results on 20 January. The company has increasingly positioned itself as a home for major studio films after their theatrical runs, while also continuing to invest in original productions tied to its studio partnerships.

If Netflix were to succeed in acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio assets, it would potentially control post-theatrical streaming rights to films from Sony, Universal, Warner Bros. and independent studio A24. Such a move would further consolidate Netflix’s position as a dominant destination for premium film content once cinema exclusivity ends.