Disney and Netflix Strike a Surprise Licensing Deal Bringing ‘Percy Jackson’ and ‘Ice Age’ to Netflix

For years, Disney has kept its biggest franchises locked inside its own streaming ecosystem. Disney+ and Hulu have served as the exclusive homes for much of the company’s film and television library. That approach is now shifting in a notable way, as the Disney and Netflix licensing deal opens the door to a wave of familiar titles on a rival platform.

The strategy is less about giving content away and more about reaching new audiences. Several of the titles involved are tied to upcoming releases, meaning the partnership doubles as a promotional push for projects Disney is about to launch.

As first reported by Variety, Disney Entertainment has entered an expansive new content licensing agreement with Netflix. Under the deal, Disney-owned films and series will stream on Netflix for varying periods of time on a nonexclusive basis.

One of the headliners is ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’. Seasons 1 and 2 of the Disney+ original will be available on Netflix globally beginning October 4 for 3 months, ahead of Season 3’s premiere on Disney+ on November 20.

The ‘Ice Age’ franchise is also part of the arrangement. All 5 films, from 2002’s ‘Ice Age’ through 2016’s ‘Ice Age: Collision Course’, will stream on Netflix worldwide starting October 4 for 3 months, leading into the sixth installment, ‘Ice Age: Boiling Point’, which hits theaters on February 5, 2027.

Several TV series are coming along for the ride. ‘Will Trent’ Seasons 1 through 4 arrive on Netflix on November 3, while the first 2 seasons of ‘Shifting Gears’ follow on December 1. Netflix is also adding some older titles from Disney’s back catalog. These include ‘Felicity’, along with shows like ‘Revenge’, ‘Army Wives’, ‘Fresh Off the Boat’, and ‘This Is Us’.

Animated films are on the way as well. Beginning in early 2027, Oscar winner ‘Soul’, ‘Elio’, ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’, and other movies will stream on Netflix globally, with availability and launch dates varying by region.

🚨 HUGE DISNEY x NETFLIX DEAL 🚨 Disney is licensing a massive wave of hit shows and movies to Netflix! 🍿✨ Coming soon to your watchlist: 🌊 Percy Jackson and the Olympians ❄️ All 5 ‘Ice Age’ movies 🔎 Will Trent 🌟 Pixar’s Soul & Elio 🎓 Felicity …and MORE! https://t.co/QjpslgR9iF

— What’s on Netflix (@whatonnetflix) October 2, 2026

The motivation appears fairly clear. Disney is hoping that putting ‘Percy Jackson’ in front of Netflix’s roughly 325 million subscribers will encourage some of them to sign up for Disney+ to catch Season 3. The same logic applies to ‘Ice Age’. Giving the original films a global spotlight on Netflix should help build excitement ahead of the next movie’s theatrical release.

Disney also benefits financially. Analysts note that the company gets to generate millions in licensing revenue, while Netflix adds more content to its library. Importantly for current subscribers, the deal is nonexclusive. Titles already available on Disney+ or Hulu, including ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ and the ‘Ice Age’ movies, will remain available there while also streaming on Netflix.

That means fans won’t lose access to their favorites. Instead, they’ll simply have more ways to watch them, at least for the duration of these promotional windows. The agreement marks a notable shift in how the streaming rivals operate. With more studios exploring licensing partnerships, this could be a sign of things to come across the industry.

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