It’s official: Netflix loves the green ogre and everyone else in the DreamWorks Animation family. It was announced today that the Netflix and DreamWorks have signed a multi-year deal to make the Internet TV network the premiere home of new animated content from the Glendale-based studio.
This agreement marks the largest deal for original first-run content in Netflix history, and is also the first time DreamWorks Animation’s popular characters will be introduced into the television market as a branded collection of shows. The deal, encompasses over 300 hours of new programming, and is a cornerstone of a major initiative by DreamWorks Animation to greatly expand its television production and distribution worldwide. The new shows will be inspired by characters from DreamWorks Animation’s hit franchises and upcoming feature films as well as the vast Classic Media library, which DreamWorks acquired in 2012 and includes some of the most popular animated characters in history.
“This is an unprecedented commitment to original content in the internet television space,” said DreamWorks Animation Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Katzenberg. “Netflix is a visionary company that continues to redefine the way audiences watch television and it is a thrill to add to their growing momentum.”
In February, Netflix and DreamWorks announced their first ever Netflix original series for kids based on the upcoming feature Turbo, premiering on July 17. Turbo F.A.S.T., an episodic animated series which picks up with the speedy snail where the feature film left off, will be available in all Netflix territories beginning in December.
Also coming exclusively to Netflix in the U.S. and Latin America next year will be new DreamWorks Animation feature films, beginning with the global hit The Croods, which grossed more than $575 million at the worldwide box office, followed by Turbo and the big screen adaption of Mr. Peabody and Sherman, which opens in theaters in March of 2014.
