Netflix reportedly offered Microsoft $500M for Xbox adaptations; deal falls through
Netflix reportedly offered Microsoft $500 million for a seven-year deal that would have let the streaming service adapt shows and films about Xbox characters. The report comes from Puck and is relayed by Dark Horizons.
According to Puck, Microsoft responded with an offer of its own for $800 million, and as a result the deal has reportedly fallen through.
In a statement to Puck, Xbox said: "We have received record-breaking interest in our I.P.; Netflix is a valued partner and we are excited for the forthcoming release of our Minecraft and Diablo animated series together, among other adaptations."
Microsoft is now said to be pursuing "smaller deals with more partners", working case by case rather than through an overarching exclusivity deal.
The article lists what Microsoft already has in motion. It previously partnered with Paramount on the live-action Halo series, which ran for two seasons. It currently has a Call of Duty film in the works at Paramount, a third season of Fallout at Amazon, and a sequel to A Minecraft Movie opening next year. Gears of War, The Elder Scrolls and Sea of Thieves are also being pitched for possible adaptations.
Netflix, for its part, has various game-based works coming out, including the animated Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, which returned this week.
Key facts
- Netflix reportedly offered Microsoft $500 million for a seven-year deal to adapt Xbox characters into shows and films, per Puck.
- Microsoft reportedly responded with an $800 million offer, and the deal has reportedly fallen through.
- Xbox told Puck it has "record-breaking interest" in its IP and called Netflix a valued partner, pointing to the upcoming Minecraft and Diablo animated series.
- Microsoft is said to be pursuing smaller deals with more partners, case by case, instead of an overarching exclusivity deal.
- Other Microsoft adaptations in motion: a Call of Duty film at Paramount, Fallout season three at Amazon, and a sequel to A Minecraft Movie next year.
Why it matters
The report suggests how Microsoft wants to handle screen adaptations of its game franchises. Rather than sell a large block of rights to one streamer for a fixed term, it is said to prefer smaller, case-by-case deals with more partners. The figures give a sense of scale: a reported $500 million offer from Netflix over seven years, and a reported $800 million counter from Microsoft. Microsoft already works with Paramount and Amazon on adaptations, so a Netflix exclusivity arrangement would have changed that pattern.
Who it affects
Netflix, which would have gained access to Xbox characters and is instead left with its existing game-based slate, including Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Microsoft and Xbox, which keep the freedom to place franchises with different partners. Paramount and Amazon, which already hold Microsoft projects (Call of Duty film, Fallout season three). Franchises named as being pitched for adaptation: Gears of War, The Elder Scrolls and Sea of Thieves. Fans of these games may see adaptations spread across several studios and services.
How to use it
There is nothing to install or buy here; this is a report about a negotiation. Readers following game adaptations can watch for the projects the article names as already in progress: the Minecraft and Diablo animated series (described as forthcoming), the Call of Duty film at Paramount, Fallout season three at Amazon, and the A Minecraft Movie sequel opening next year.
How solid is it
Treat it as a report, not a confirmed deal. The article relays Puck and uses "reportedly" for the $500 million offer, the $800 million counter and the collapse of the deal. Microsoft's pursuit of smaller deals is described only as "said to be". The Xbox statement does not confirm or deny the offer, the amounts, or that the deal fell through. No Netflix comment is given. No publication date of the article or of Puck's report is given.
Risks and caveats
The figures are unconfirmed by either company. It is not stated which Xbox characters or franchises the Netflix deal would cover, nor whether the $800 million was for the same seven-year scope or what terms it carried. It is not stated that Netflix rejected the counter-offer; only that the deal has reportedly fallen through. The release dates of the Minecraft and Diablo animated series are not given beyond "forthcoming". The pitches for Gears of War, The Elder Scrolls and Sea of Thieves are described only as possible adaptations.
“We have received record-breaking interest in our I.P.; Netflix is a valued partner and we are excited for the forthcoming release of our Minecraft and Diablo animated series together, among other adaptations.”
— Xbox, statement to Puck