Netflix, DreamWorks Animation Expand Streaming Deal

Netflix is planning to launch several new DWA series in 2016, including a reimagining of 1980s sci-fi cartoon ‘Voltron’ and ‘Trollhunters,’ a fantasy series from Oscar-nominated director Guillermo del Toro.

Netflix has expanded its multi-year distribution deal with DreamWorks Animation, scooping up global rights, outside China, to several new DWA original series.

The deal, announced by the two companies on Tuesday, also covers streaming rights to DWA’s feature film library and extends rights for current original series available on Netflix worldwide.

The agreement extends the 2013 deal between DWA and Netflix, which, at the time, was Netflix’ biggest-ever deal for original first-run content.

Netflix is planning to launch several new DWA series in 2016, including a reimagining of 1980s sci-fi cartoon Voltron and Trollhunters, a fantasy series from Oscar-nominated director Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth).

Over the term of the new agreement, a number of new original series will be developed and produced by DreamWorks Animation for Netflix. The series will be based both on recent and upcoming DWA films and on other IP.

“DreamWorks Animation is synonymous with great storytelling that families around the world enjoy,” said Cindy Holland, Netflix vp original series, in a statement. “It’s with great pleasure that we expand on an already successful relationship with DreamWorks Animation to bring more premium kids and family television to Netflix members globally.”

A DWA spokesman noted that the studio’s series production commitments now total more than 1,600 episodes across linear and SVOD platforms.

The new deal also expands Netflix’s second-window rights worldwide outside China to DWA series such as The Adventures of Puss in Boots and Dragons: Race to the Edge.