Netflix and DreamWorks sign exclusive content deal

Netflix has signed its biggest deal to date for original content with DreamWorks Animation, giving all subscribers exclusive access to original television from 2014.

The multi-year deal will see 300 hours of new programming as DreamWorks seeks to expand its television production across the globe.

It will also mark the first time that some of DreamWorks Animation’s best-known characters will be introduced into the television market as a branded collection of shows including Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon.

The unique content will be aired in all territories in which Netflix operates, including the US, Canada, Latin America and Europe.

The news comes shortly after Netflix came under criticism from YouGov’s director of media Shaun Austin, who said that Netflix’s mass move into production is likely to be nothing more than short-term PR noise, rather than a viable long-term business proposition that can improve brand perception and increase subscriptions.