No company other than Netflix (NFLX +0.56%) could have given Walt Disney (DIS +0.20%) the deal it wanted for four new superhero TV shows, Fool contributor Tim Beyers argues in the following video.
Netflix offers each new Marvel show international distribution to as many as 40 million viewers worldwide. Disney can't achieve that on its own, Tim says, because it controls a limited number of channels for offering live action superhero content and ABC already airs Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
History also favors the deal. More than 66% of gross receipts for Iron Man 3 came from overseas territories. Thor: The Dark World is also tracking well in foreign territories, much like its predecessor. Settling for U.S.-centric distribution would be aiming too low, Tim says.
Disney also has a history of licensing properties to experts. Think of how it shuttered LucasArts in the months following its acquisition of Lucasfilm. Electronic Arts is now tasked with creating the next round of Star Wars video games.
Now it's your turn to weigh in. What do you expect from Marvel now that Disney's deal with Netflix is in place? Please watch the video to get Tim's full take, and then leave a comment to let us know what you think.
