Disney inks home video agreement with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment; Disney exits physical media

[DogBoneController]

Well, I should've seen this one coming, but here it is from the Digital Bits. Note that Bill has contacts with the home video business so he's pretty credible here:

Disney and Sony have just inked a major deal for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment to take over all of Disney’s physical media production going forward.

This means that Sony will handle and oversee the actual authoring and compression of discs, that they’ll work with the replicators and packaging vendors, and that they’ll oversee the titles as they go out to the distributors and on to retailers.

I first received word of this deal about two weeks ago, apparently within twenty-four hours of the ink drying, and I’ve now confirmed it with multiple independent sources within the industry—people that I trust and have known and worked with for many years.

There you have it, folks. Walt Disney Home Video is as good as dead. Might also explain why the Disney Movie Club is shutting down come May.

(Moved here from The Entertainment Thread to be more fitting.)

 

[the greenman]

Ironically, at first I was upset, but when I really think about it SONY has a better physical media Dept than Disney ever did.

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[PF9]

Some TV titles like Amphibia and TOH should be licensed to The Criterion Collection as part of an expansion to TV for the latter.

The ironic part of this is that Sony will have video rights to the 1993 Mario movie, based on an IP owned by Sony rival Nintendo.

 

[CartoonLover2604]

If this means we finally get complete series releases for modern Disney TVA shows; (Amphibia, Owl House, Molly McGee.) Then I'm all for this. Still, really sucks seeing physical media slowly fade away. The news of physical media shrinking will only get worse.

 

[Fone Bone]

I'll miss the Disney Movie Club and Disney Movie Rewards. I have gotten some great stuff there.

 

[DogBoneController]

If this means we finally get complete series releases for modern Disney TVA shows; (Amphibia, Owl House, Molly McGee.) Then I'm all for this. Still, really sucks seeing physical media slowly fade away. The news of physical media shrinking will only get worse.

I expect most of the same, except with Sony just doing the heavy lifting here. If Disney won't even put Saban/Fox Kids shows on Disney+ or Hulu, I doubt Sony can convince them to do so now.

Ironically, at first I was upset, but when I really think about it SONY has a better physical media Dept than Disney ever did.

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The "vault" strategy worked when physical media was still the dominant medium for collecting movies. Digital and streaming has permanently impaired that. It was a question of when, not if, Disney would throw in the towel on physical media.

IMO, their 2019-2020 4K Blu-ray screw up probably sealed the deal.

 

[Daikun]

CNSA has an interesting take on the situation, pointing out that Sony is one of the main proprietors of the Blu-Ray format, so we may see more Disney and Fox movies remastered in 4K.

 

[DeanBurrito25]

One the one hand, this news more or less ensures continued Disney physical media down the road, so...yay? On the other hand, it is so surreal to see competitors work together like this - as it if the rumored Peacock/Paramount+ merger weren't enough.

 

[Eurbane]

What is Sony gonna do next, release a complete series of Dragon tales?

 

[Moe]

I don't think The Criterion Collection make DVD/BD based on TV shows and it is likely for TV shows to be handled by Sony or outsourcing companies like Shout Factory, Mill Creek Entertainment and others if Disney opens more shows to be on physical media.

I'll miss the Disney Movie Club and Disney Movie Rewards. I have gotten some great stuff there.

Same here, I was member of Disney Movie Club and I was able to collect all of their animated films - thanks to DMC. I decided to end DMC in 2018 and shift my focus on digital collection instead.

I still buy DVD/BD if shows and movies are unavailable or extremely overpriced to buy digitally, even including Disney as well.

I expect most of the same, except with Sony just doing the heavy lifting here. If Disney won't even put Saban/Fox Kids shows on Disney+ or Hulu, I doubt Sony can convince them to do so now.

That what I think too and unlike all other major studios, Disney is much more closed to shows to be released on DVD/BD.

I'm not optimistic about this news and I think Disney do same but shift the burden on Sony instead.

 

[DogBoneController]

Some more info from Bill on the matter. Apparently the transition will take several months.

 

[PF9]

I don't think The Criterion Collection make DVD/BD based on TV shows

They don't do it now but they should start doing it.

There's quite a lot of popular TV shows that have not yet been released on home media or have been but without significant special features. That's where Criterion comes in as an alternative to Shout.

 

[Elijah Abrams]

Handling distribution of Disney (and even ABC, Touchstone, and Hollywood) DVDs and Blu-rays is one thing Sony Pictures can handle, but I think them also handling distribution of Fox/20th Century Studios DVDs and Blu-rays is a bit much for them, don't ya think? Then again, there's also Mill Creek and Shout! Factory.

@PF9 There's no way Criterion will distribute TV shows on physical media, ever. Just deal with it.

 

[Space Cadet]

I guess it shouldn't be that much of shock but it is to me. I'm glad that Disney isn't leaving the physical media business entirely but as an "oldie" who remembers when their home video division was called Buena Vista, it really is an end of an era.

 

[Moe]

They don't do it now but they should start doing it.

There's quite a lot of popular TV shows that have not yet been released on home media or have been but without significant special features. That's where Criterion comes in as an alternative to Shout.

I can see now and I understand about what you said now.

and yeah, a lot of TV shows didn't receive physical media treatment, that's shame for sure.

Handling distribution of Disney (and even ABC, Touchstone, and Hollywood) DVDs and Blu-rays is one thing Sony Pictures can handle, but I think them also handling distribution of Fox/20th Century Studios DVDs and Blu-rays is a bit much for them, don't ya think? Then again, there's also Mill Creek and Shout! Factory.

If Sony agreed to handle and it shouldn't be issue for Sony, also Sony outsourced some of their contents to Mill Creek and Shout Factory, especially old TV shows and I do think this deal may allow Sony to send some of Disney/20th Century to outsourcing companies. We have to wait and see about what happened with TV shows owned by Disney.

@PF9 There's no way Criterion will distribute TV shows on physical media, ever. Just deal with it.

He expressed his wish and please be nice to him.

I guess it shouldn't be that much of shock but it is to me. I'm glad that Disney isn't leaving the physical media business entirely but as an "oldie" who remembers when their home video division was called Buena Vista, it really is an end of an era.

Yeah, that's much better than shut entire of DVD/BD down and actually, it is more of good news.

Disney used to outsource their home video to MCA and Fotomat in late 1970s and early 1980s.

 

[Frontier]

I guess the writing's been on the wall for a while.

 

[DogBoneController]

Handling distribution of Disney (and even ABC, Touchstone, and Hollywood) DVDs and Blu-rays is one thing Sony Pictures can handle, but I think them also handling distribution of Fox/20th Century Studios DVDs and Blu-rays is a bit much for them, don't ya think?

I think they might license some titles to Criterion and Shout! Factory. Sony already has deals with both.

 

[Hulkwummy]

Does this mean Sony will be making DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4Ks of our favorite Disney shows and movies?

 

[John Pannozzi]

FWIW, Criterion dabbled with releasing TV shows back in the laserdisc days (they released a collection of episodes from the 1960s Addams Family series), so it wouldn't be entirely unprecedented if they were to do so again (which I realistically doubt they will, but hope they might).

 

[Moe]

Does this mean Sony will be making DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4Ks of our favorite Disney shows and movies?

Yes, Disney outsourced physical media (DVD, BD, UHD) business to Sony.