Image Credit: Sony Pictures
Sony Pictures Animation is back on the court. While the studio has sent several major hits straight to Netflix in recent years, goat—the new sports comedy produced by NBA legend Stephen Curry—first released in theaters earlier this year. Hitting theaters for Presidents weekend, the film has proven to be another huge hit for one of the world’s most popular animation studios. Now, if you’ve been waiting to see the action from your couch, we officially know when the film will be arriving on Netflix in the United States.
The film’s promotional campaign states, “Greatness is not born, it is tarnished.” The story focuses on a goat named Hapi who discovers he has a preternatural talent for basketball. In a world where animals and humans live together but rarely compete, Hapi must navigate the underground streetball circuit to prove that an underdog (or underdog) can become the greatest of all time.
Directed by Tyree Dillihay (bob’s burgers) and written by Aaron Buchsbaum and Teddy Riley, it is a passion project for filmmaker Stephen Curry and his Unanimous Media banner. It marks another visual stylistic pivot for Sony Pictures Animation, blending 2D and 3D elements to capture the kinetic energy of street basketball.
stranger things Fans will feel right at home with the voice cast, featuring both Hopper and Lucas (David Harbor and Caleb McLaughlin), with other well-known stars like Gabrielle Union, Aaron Pierre, Nicola Coughlan and Nick Kroll also in the fray.
Sony Pictures Animation is the studio behind the film, and they share a stronger bond with Netflix than most. Over the past few years, Netflix has served as the exclusive global home for major SPA titles such as the Academy Award-nominated The Mitchells vs. The Machinesmusical VivoAnd wish dragonLeaving theaters altogether. Also, the Netflix special was home to kpop demon hunter.
However, goat Is different. Unlike those titles, it was a full theatrical release, falling under the standard Sony Pictures Pay-1 window deal. The deal is limited to the US and a few other territories in 2026, rather than being an “original” produced directly for the streamer (it will expand globally in 2027). So really, its release strategy is very similar to that of the Spider-Verse movies.
A slam dunk at the box office
Proving that original animated films can still draw huge crowds without relying on sequel branding, GOAT enjoyed a hugely successful theatrical run following its release in February. Made on a reported production budget of $80 million, the film easily exceeded profitability and notably became the highest-grossing basketball film of all time, surpassing the original. space Jam.
- Domestic box office: $103.3 million
- International box office: $87.1 million
- Worldwide box office: $190.4 million
It scored the biggest opening weekend for an original animated film since 2023 fundamental And showed incredibly strong legs, becoming one of the first 2026 releases to cross the $100 million milestone domestically.
When will GOAT be on Netflix US?
While the standard Sony Pay-1 window typically opens approximately 120 days after cinema release (which would have premiered in mid-June), goat The court is arriving a full month earlier than initially expected. 90 days to be exact.
Official US Netflix release date goat Thursday, May 14, 2026. Once it’s released, it will stream on Netflix for 18 months before moving to Disney/Hulu properties. You can find Netflix’s full May 2026 lineup here.
For Netflix India users: This May 14 date generally applies to your region as well.
For the UK and Canada, the wait is often longer. In the UK, Sony movies typically arrive on Sky/Now TV first, meaning Netflix subscribers may have to wait nearly two years after initial theatrical release.
Are you curious to watch? goat On Netflix? Let us know in the comments.
