Netflix may have the streaming rights to many of Disney’s current collection, but Hulu now has a selection of classic Mouse House titles. As part of a new licensing deal — thefirstof Hulu’s theatrical licensing deals with Disney — the streaming platform already hasMulan,Hercules,Pocahontas,The Nightmare Before Christmas, and morereadily available to watch.
The deal, which wasannouncedTuesday, also includes a selection of live-action films, like theSister Act,Air Bud, andHomeward Boundmovies, as well asNewsiesand both versions ofThe Parent Trap. More than 50 films are included in this deal, and next year with bringCon Air,Muppet Treasure Island,The Princess and the Frog,Tarzan,Lilo & Stitch,Pearl Harbor,The Mighty Ducks, and more to Hulu.
This means Disney is splitting the streaming rights to its vast library over multiple platforms. In the past few months, Netflix kicked off its own deal by featuringZootopia,Captain America: Civil War, andThe Jungle Book. Many more new titles, including ones from Lucasfilm and Pixar, are on the way during the first pay-TV window for each release. Plus, Disney has its own overseas streaming platform called DisneyLife.
Kid-friendly fair has become a big selling point for streaming, and Hulu’s Disney dealings will be a big boost. Netflix is at the head of the pack in those terms with its numerous pieces of original content — its latest,TrollhuntersfromGuillermo del Toro, premiered last week.
Back in November, rumors began to swirl over Disney possibly buying Netflix, which would’ve given the platform a bigger chunk of change to develop even more original content, in addition to what we assume would’ve likely amounted to Disney handing over the majority (if not all) of its library. That hasn’t happened — at least, not yet — so it seems more lucrative to divide its titles among streaming companies that are all vying for a piece of the pie.
That’s what they’re doing with Marvel.Numerous superhero series are in developmentacross a diverse set of networks and platforms. Hulu, for one, is developingThe Runaways, and it seems to be working out in everyone’s favor.
