Disney Entertainment and Netflix have entered into a non-exclusive content licensing agreement that will bring several of Disney’s highest-profile franchises to its primary rival. Starting October 4, 2026, all five original Ice Age films and the first two seasons of the Disney+ original series Percy Jackson and the Olympians will be available to Netflix subscribers globally.
The deal represents a significant strategic shift for Disney, which is increasingly utilizing Netflix’s massive global reach as a promotional engine for its own upcoming content. Unlike previous licensing deals that focused on older library titles, this agreement specifically targets “promotional windows” of approximately three months for flagship titles.
Strategic Timing for Major Franchises
The arrival of these titles on Netflix is calculated to drive viewership back to Disney’s own platforms and the box office. Percy Jackson and the Olympians Seasons 1 and 2 will stream on Netflix for a limited three-month window, ending just as Percy Jackson Season 3 is scheduled to premiere exclusively on Disney+ on November 20, 2026.
Similarly, the Ice Age film collection will reside on Netflix through early 2027. This placement serves as a marketing ramp-up for the theatrical release of the sixth installment in the franchise, Ice Age: Boiling Point, which is set to hit theaters on February 5, 2027. By placing the backlog of films on Netflix, Disney aims to re-engage the global audience ahead of the new film’s debut.
Critically, this deal is non-exclusive. All titles involved in the agreement will remain available on Disney+ and Hulu, allowing Disney to maintain its own content library while collecting licensing fees and promotional value from Netflix.
Expanded Library and 2027 Roadmap
Beyond the tentpole franchises, the agreement includes a wide array of Disney-owned television library titles and upcoming animation releases. Starting November 3, 2026, the first four seasons of the ABC series Will Trent will begin streaming on Netflix globally.
The deal also covers several fan-favorite library series, including:
- This Is Us
- Fresh Off the Boat
- Revenge
- Felicity
- Army Wives
Looking into early 2027, the partnership will expand to include Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios films. Titles such as Soul, Raya and the Last Dragon, and the upcoming feature Elio are scheduled to appear on Netflix. Furthermore, the hit series Tracker (Seasons 1-3) is slated for an international Netflix release outside of the United States on February 26, 2027.
What Stays Exclusive to Disney+
While Disney is opening its vault wider than in previous years, the company is maintaining a firm “walled garden” around its most valuable cinematic universes. The new agreement explicitly excludes Marvel Studios and Star Wars franchise titles. These properties remain exclusive to Disney+ as the company continues to view them as the primary drivers for its own streaming subscription base.
This move follows a similar, though smaller, licensing deal in December 2023 which saw titles like Scandal and Black-ish move to Netflix. However, the inclusion of current Disney+ originals like Percy Jackson marks a more aggressive phase of the strategy, effectively treating Netflix as a high-reach billboard for Disney’s premium subscription offerings.
