No, Netflix did not buy Wakfu. Instead, Netflix participated in a significant international deal that involved funding a portion of the third season of the animated series.
While Wakfu is listed with the "Netflix Original Series" appellation, this designation stems from the agreement where Netflix funded approximately one-third of Wakfu season 3. This arrangement granted Netflix the rights for international distribution and the use of its branding, rather than conveying ownership of the entire franchise.
Understanding the Relationship Between Netflix and Wakfu
The relationship between Netflix and Wakfu creator Ankama is a common model in the entertainment industry, often involving co-production or licensing agreements.
Key Aspects of Their Collaboration:
- Funding Contribution: Netflix provided financial support for a significant part of Wakfu season 3, which was crucial for its production.
- Distribution Rights: In exchange for their investment, Netflix secured the international distribution rights for the series, making it accessible to a global audience on their platform.
- "Netflix Original Series" Tag: The inclusion of this label is part of the specific terms of their international deal, indicating Netflix's involvement in the production and exclusive streaming rights for certain territories and periods.
- Ownership Retention: The original creative studio, Ankama, maintains ownership of the Wakfu intellectual property. This means that while Netflix played a role in a specific season's production and distribution, they do not own the rights to the series outright.
- Temporary Availability: The nature of such deals implies that Wakfu may not remain a permanent fixture on the Netflix platform. Content licensing agreements typically have a defined duration, after which the series could potentially move to other platforms or have its rights renegotiated.
How Content Acquisition and Licensing Works
It's common for streaming services like Netflix to acquire content through various models, not solely by outright purchasing entire intellectual properties.
- Licensing: This is the most frequent method, where a streaming service pays a fee to license existing content for a set period.
- Co-Production: In this model, the streaming service invests in the production of new content alongside another studio, sharing production costs and often distribution rights. This appears to be the case with Wakfu season 3.
- Outright Acquisition: Less common for individual series, this involves buying the entire rights to a property, giving the service full control. This did not happen with Wakfu.
Therefore, while Netflix played a vital role in bringing Wakfu season 3 to a broader audience and attaching its brand to it, this was a strategic partnership for content distribution and partial funding, not an acquisition of the Wakfu universe.
