Disney has added another globally recognized franchise to its streaming lineup.
For years, Disney+ has been built largely around properties already controlled by The Walt Disney Company, including Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, National Geographic, and Disney Animation.
That approach has given Disney one of streaming’s deepest libraries of familiar intellectual property. But the company has also continued looking outside its own catalog for programming capable of attracting established fan bases.
Now Pokémon falls into that category.
Disney+ has signed a global distribution agreement with The Pokémon Company International, securing both new and classic Pokémon programming for its platforms.
The partnership was announced Friday at PokémonXP in San Francisco and gives Disney a new connection to a franchise that has spent decades becoming one of the biggest entertainment properties in the world.
Disney+ Is Getting a Brand-New Pokémon Series
The biggest piece of the agreement is Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu, a new stop-motion series scheduled to arrive in 2027.
The show will debut on both Disney XD and Disney+.
Rather than centering on some of Pokémon’s most familiar human characters, the series will follow Sirfetch’d and Pichu as they travel through the Galar Region.
Their journey sees them trying to help and protect other Pokémon, although their missions regularly become more complicated than expected.
The pair will encounter new allies, rivals, danger, and other Pokémon as their friendship grows throughout the series.
Aardman Animation helped develop the project alongside The Pokémon Company International.
The British animation studio is best known for titles including Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run, making the partnership another unusual combination of major entertainment brands.
Tom Parkinson directs the series. Nat McKay serves as Creative Director – IP Development, while James Young is Model Making Creative Lead.
The new production is only one part of Disney’s Pokémon agreement.
Disney has also added Pokémon the Series: The Beginning, giving subscribers access to the earliest television adventures of Ash Ketchum and Pikachu.
The classic series began airing on Disney XD earlier in August and is now streaming on Disney+ in the United States and select international markets.
That gives Disney both a new Pokémon project and a piece of the franchise’s original animated history.
Pokémon first emerged from Nintendo Game Boy games released in Japan in the 1990s before rapidly expanding into television, movies, trading cards, merchandise, mobile games, and live entertainment.
Three decades later, Pikachu remains one of the most recognizable characters in entertainment.
Disney securing Pokémon programming is, therefore, a significant addition to Disney+, even though the agreement does not appear to extend beyond television distribution.
There has been no announcement suggesting Disney has obtained theme park rights to Pokémon or plans to introduce Pokémon attractions at Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort.
That side of the franchise is currently developing elsewhere.
Pokémon Already Has Big Plans With Universal
While Disney has locked down a major streaming partnership, Universal has been building its own relationship with The Pokémon Company for several years.
Universal Studios Japan first announced a long-term alliance with The Pokémon Company in 2021.
Pokémon has since appeared at the Osaka theme park through entertainment, including the NO LIMIT! Parade and seasonal Halloween offerings.
The partnership became considerably more significant in January 2026.
Universal Studios Japan announced plans for a new project that will introduce more immersive Pokémon experiences, with the first developments planned for Japan.
Universal also confirmed that the concept is intended to expand across Universal Destinations & Experiences globally.
Exactly where those Pokémon experiences will appear has not been announced.
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