Photo Credit: Paolo Villanueva / CC by 2.0
According to a new report, Taylor Swift sold exclusive streaming rights to her Eras Tour concert film to Disney+ for over $75 million.
Disney is paying Taylor Swift more than $75 million for exclusive streaming rights to “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version)” on Disney+, having outbid Netflix and Universal Pictures, according to a report from Puck News. Universal Pictures had previously handled the film’s digital and video-on-demand distribution.
The “Taylor’s Version” of the concert film will include five songs not heard in previous versions of the movie, including fan favorite cottagecore hit “cardigan” from 2020’s folklore, plus four acoustic songs not yet revealed. Representatives for neither Swift nor Disney have responded to media requests for comment.
“We know audiences are going to absolutely love the chance to relive the electrifying ‘Taylor Swift: Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version)’ whenever they want on Disney+,” said Disney CEO Bob Iger during the company’s earnings call on Wednesday, February 7.
After its theatrical release on October 13, 2023, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” brought in an astounding $261.7 million at the global box office, crowning it the highest-grossing concert film in history. The movie was shot at the first three Los Angeles show of Swift’s Eras Tour, from August 3-5, 2023.
At two hours and 45 minutes of runtime, the version of the film seen in theaters omitted several songs from the performances. The digital release, distributed by Universal Pictures, debuted on Swift’s birthday, December 13. That version had a runtime of just over three hours, and included three songs not seen in the theatrical run: “Long Live,” “The Archer,” and “Wildest Dreams.”
Based on the three shows used for the film, the most likely candidates for the four acoustic songs that will be included in the Disney+ Taylor’s Version are “Death by a Thousand Cuts,” “I Can See You,” “Maroon,” and “You Are in Love.” Fans will be able to find out for sure what those songs are when the newly expanded version of “The Eras Tour” debuts on March 15 on Disney+.
