Netflix has come out swinging today, announcing a deal with The Walt Disney Company that will bring a selection of Disney's most popular content to the streaming service when it launches in Australia and New Zealand in March.
Under the deal, Aussie and Kiwi Netflix members will have access to film and television content from Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm.
Confirmed movie content includes Pixar favourites such as Cars, Monsters Inc. and UP, Marvel Studios blockbusters such as Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy, Walt Disney Animation Studio classics Frozen, Tangled and Big Hero 6 and other Disney staples like Planes, Saving Mr. Banks, Maleficent and Muppets Most Wanted.
On the television side of things, Netflix will be streaming Lucasfilm's Star Wars: The Clone Wars, ABC Studios' hit series Lost, Jake and the Never Land Pirates from Disney Junior and the Disney Channel's Good Luck Charlie.
Streamboat Willie
While rival streaming service Presto already has a large range of Disney shows and movies on offer, Netflix undoubtedly has the advantage as the service has exclusive streaming rights to Guardians of the Galaxy, Big Hero 6 and Maleficent in the months after launch, and its content will be available to stream in full HD where available.
Netflix's announcement only confirms a select number of titles, so it's hard to know if the service's full catalogue will be as extensive as Presto's, which currently includes animated classics like Aladdin and Toy Story 3.
Netflix also mentioned in its Disney announcement that all of this content would be included in its "low monthly price", which is rumoured to start at $9.99, though is still unconfirmed by the service.
Stan, Australia's most recent addition to the streaming media fold, has not added or announced any Disney content since its recent Australia Day launch, which is somewhat of a gaping hole in its content line-up.
- Netflix has officially launched in Australia. Time to read our Netflix review!
