LOS GATOS, California: Netflix is strengthening its global film slate by locking in a long-term streaming partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, securing worldwide rights to the studio's theatrical releases after they leave cinemas.

Under a new multi-year agreement announced on January 15, Netflix will become the exclusive global streaming destination for Sony Pictures Entertainment movies once they complete their theatrical and video-on-demand windows. The exclusivity will last for the first 18 months of streaming, after which the films will move to Disney.

The rollout will begin gradually later this year as distribution rights open up across individual territories, with full worldwide availability expected by early 2029.

Among the titles set to arrive on Netflix under the deal are "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse," Nintendo's live-action "The Legend of Zelda," "The Nightingale," starring Dakota and Elle Fanning, and a series of four films about The Beatles directed by Academy Award-winner Sam Mendes.

The agreement gives Netflix a steady pipeline of major studio releases as it increasingly leans on licensed content to complement its original programming. Netflix already holds streaming rights to Sony Pictures films in select markets, including the United States, Germany and parts of Southeast Asia.

For Sony, the deal provides a clear post-theatrical home for its movie slate at a time when Hollywood studios are reassessing long-term distribution strategies amid shifts in consumer viewing habits driven by streaming.

The announcement also comes as Netflix moves to acquire Warner Bros Discovery's studio and streaming assets in a US$72 billion deal, underscoring the company's push to scale up its content offerings.

Sony's broader film catalogue includes titles such as "Uncharted," "Anyone But You," "Venom: The Last Dance," and "It Ends With Us."

The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement.