NBCUniversal Brings Universal+ to Japan in Exclusive U-Next Partnership

NBCUniversal has locked in a long-term strategic partnership with U-Next that will bring its streaming brand Universal+ exclusively to Japan's second-largest subscription video platform, starting October 2026.

The deal, announced on 31 August 2026, gives U-Next's more than 5.2 million paid subscribers access to NBCUniversal's full film and television catalogue — including franchises such as The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Minions, Jurassic Park and Fast & Furious, plus library titles like Suits and Heroes (Variety). Content will come from Universal Pictures, Focus Features, DreamWorks Animation, Illumination, Universal Studio Group and Sky. Beginning in spring 2027, U-Next will also offer major NBCUniversal theatrical releases shortly after their cinema runs, along with first-run series on a rolling, exclusive basis.

The 2026 theatrical slate waiting in the wings includes Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, opening in Japan on 11 September, and Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day, opening 1 October. On the television side, the package covers scripted series Line of Fire and War, plus The Five Star Weekend.

NBCUniversal managing director for Asia Pacific TV distribution and international networks Chris Taylor called the U-Next launch the first fully-loaded Universal+ rollout in the Asia Pacific region. He said the partnership brings together NBCUniversal's catalogue, theme park experiences through Universal Studios Japan, and its global distribution network for Japanese audiences. Tsutsumi Tenshin, president and representative director of U-Next Co., said the platform is pleased to enter the strategic partnership (Variety).

U-Next, operated by Usen & U-Next Group, trails only Netflix in Japan's subscription video-on-demand market, according to data from GEM Partners cited in the same Variety report. The platform launched its subscription video service in Japan in 2007 and describes itself as a pioneer in the domestic streaming industry (U-Next).

The partnership reaches beyond streaming. Universal Studios Japan, which marks its 25th anniversary in 2026, will work with U-Next on joint development of live music events, exclusive subscriber experiences, and video content featuring the park. The theme park has already been expanding its entertainment offerings — the world's first Donkey Kong Country area within Super Nintendo World opened in 2024, and immersive Pokémon experiences launched in January 2026 (NBCUniversal; NBCUniversal).

The deal also runs in both directions. NBCUniversal will build new distribution pathways for Japanese dramas, anime, films and U-Next original productions through Peacock in the United States and Universal+ in Latin America, with plans to expand into additional markets.

For viewers, the practical effect is a pipeline: Hollywood blockbusters arriving on U-Next weeks after their cinema runs, NBCUniversal series landing exclusively on the platform, and Japanese content finding new audiences abroad through Peacock and Universal+. The structure mirrors distribution deals NBCUniversal has struck elsewhere — with JioCinema in India in 2023 and, more recently, a global partnership with YouTube announced in July 2026 that expanded Universal+'s international reach (Reuters; Reuters).

Japan's streaming market is crowded and competitive. What this partnership does is put a major Hollywood studio's catalogue — films, scripted series, animation — behind one platform's paywall, while opening a two-way street for Japanese content to reach audiences on the other side of the world.