Hulu to begin streaming Disney classics under new licensing deal

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- Hulu has signed a new licensing agreement with Disney that will bring 56 animated and live-action films to the streaming service.

According to Variety, animated classics such as Pocahontas, Mulan and The Nightmare Before Christmas will be made exclusive to Hulu while other non-exclusive films such as Lilo & Stitch, The Princess and the Frog, The Mighty Ducks, and Muppet Treasure Island will be made available for streaming soon.

The deal marks the biggest licensing agreement for Hulu, which is expanding from television shows to include films, family content and live programming.

"Expanding our offering of top-rated kids and family programming has been a top priority for us," Craig Erwich, head of content for Hulu, said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.

Hulu's competitor Netflix still retains streaming rights to newer Disney films from a deal signed in 2012. They include such films as 2016's The Jungle Book, Zootopia, and Captain America: Civil War to name a few.

Hulu is owned by Disney, NBCUniversal, 21st Century Fox and Time Warner Inc.