Disney licenses certain titles to Netflix, including ‘Ice Age’, ‘Will Trent’, ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’, ‘Felicity’

Sure, Disney and Netflix compete for streaming subscribers — but Mouse House also sees its rival’s massive 325 million-plus customer base as a way to monetize and promote its own content, and Netflix is ​​happy to write the checks.

Disney Entertainment and Netflix have entered into a new expanded content licensing agreement, which will bring to Netflix an eclectic mix of library titles and current season TV shows for different time periods and on a non-exclusive basis.

In some cases, part of Disney’s strategy is to generate interest in upcoming releases. The Disney+ original series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” seasons 1 and 2, will be available on Netflix worldwide starting October 4 as part of a three-month promotional window before season 3 premieres on Disney+ on November 20.

Similarly, all five “Ice Age” films from 20th Century Studios will be available on Netflix worldwide starting October 4 in a separate three-month promotional window ahead of the franchise’s sixth installment, “Ice Age: Boiling Point,” which hits theaters on February 5, 2027. The films are “Ice Age” (2002), “Ice Age: The Meltdown” (2006), “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.” (2009), “The Ice Age: Continental Drift” (2012) and “The Ice Age: Collision Course” (2016).

Three current series from 20th Television are also coming to Netflix: crime drama “Will Trent” seasons 1-4 and sitcom “Shifting Gears” seasons 1-2 will be available on Netflix worldwide, while action drama “Tracker” seasons 1-3 will be available on Netflix internationally outside the United States as part of a multi-year run.

“Will Trent” (S1-4) will be on Netflix worldwide starting November 3, before season 5 premieres on ABC in early 2027. “Shifting Gears” (S1-2) will come to Netflix starting December 1 in the United States and internationally in January, before season 3 premieres on ABC on January 7, 2027. “Tracker” (S1-3) will be available on Netflix internationally at from February 26. 2027; Season 4 premieres on CBS on October 4.

The deal includes a selection of non-franchise Disney-branded films from Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar. Starting in early 2027, the Oscar-winning films “Soul,” “Elio,” “Raya and the Last Dragon” and other films will be available to stream on Netflix worldwide (title availability and release dates vary by region).

In addition, a selection of Disney Entertainment library series will be available on Netflix. These include “Felicity” (available on Netflix in the US on October 7, internationally at later dates), “Revenge” (worldwide), “Army Wives” (worldwide), “Fresh Off the Boat” (US and select regions) and “This Is Us” (internationally outside the US; it was previously licensed to Netflix in 2024-25 in the US).

The new batch of Disney-owned TV shows and movies will join other licensed content from the media conglomerate on Netflix, including “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Arrested Development,” “Scandal” and “Black-ish.”

From Disney’s perspective, the expanded licensing deal is a win-win: Disney brings its collection of titles to a wider audience to increase its exposure (while generating millions in additional revenue) and Netflix adds more content offerings.

And Disney is not deviating from its general strategy that Disney-branded titles remain largely exclusive to its platforms and television channels. All titles currently on Disney+ (including the “Ice Age” and “Percy Jackson” films) and Hulu will continue to be available.

Netflix, in addition to a wide range of licensed titles, also spends a lot of money on originals. These include the hit animated films “KPop Demon Hunters” and “Swapped”. His upcoming slate of originals includes “Steps” (November 20), “Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory” and Guillermo del Toro’s “The Buried Giant,” with sequels to “Leo” and “KPop Demon Hunters” in the works.