Where to stream movies from Sony and Columbia Pictures
Where to stream movies from Sony and Columbia Pictures
These movies can bounce around a bit when they are ready to stream, but we’ll help you sort out any confusion.
For years, Sony Pictures Entertainment has cultivated a reputation as a streaming “arms dealer.” Since the studio doesn’t have a streaming service of its own, it’s free to license its films to the highest bidder once they’re ready to leave theaters. That’s great for Sony and its sibling studio, Columbia Pictures, but for customers, it can lead to a good deal of confusion.
That’s why The Streamable’s experts are here! We want to help you sort through the confusion and pinpoint exactly where and when you can watch top titles from Sony and Columbia via streaming, and we’ll cut through the static on those questions here.
Where can you stream titles from Sony Pictures Entertainment and Columbia Pictures?
Does Sony have a Pay 1 streaming partner?
Yes, it does. Sony and Columbia Pictures movies are subject to a deal made in 2022 between Sony and Netflix, which lasts until 2026. Under the terms of the agreement, movies from these studios stream on Netflix for an exclusive 18-month window once they leave theaters. Typically, Sony makes audiences wait 100 days or longer for movies to premiere on Netflix, since it makes most of its revenue from these films through ticket sales and doesn’t get access to streaming ad revenue once they become available on-demand.
Does Sony have a Pay 2 streaming partner?
It does indeed. After movies from Sony and Columbia have completed their 18-month run on Netflix, they switch to a Disney-owned streaming service. Movies can end up on either Disney+ or Hulu depending on their target audience, though for Disney Bundle customers, many of the titles that are sent to Hulu stream simultaneously on both apps.
This Pay 2 window usually lasts 12 months or more, so audiences get a nice, long window to watch them on Disney-owned streaming services before they are consigned to the Sony library.
Does Sony make other streaming licensing deals?
Yes, after Sony-owned movies finish their Pay 1 and Pay 2 windows on Netflix and Disney streaming services, they can be licensed non-exclusively to a variety of streamers. They essentially go up for licensing to the highest bidder, allowing Sony to keep collecting revenue on movies that haven’t been in theaters for years.
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Netflix
Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”
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Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”
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Hulu
Hulu is a video streaming service that gives access to thousands of full seasons of exclusive series, hit movies, kids shows, and Hulu Originals like “Only Murders in the Building,” and “The Handmaid's Tale.”
