Disney+ has signed a global distribution agreement with The Pokémon Company International, beginning with classic animation and extending to a new Aardman stop-motion series in 2027. Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch'd & Pichu will debut on Disney XD and stream exclusively on Disney+, giving the platform a new Pokémon production as well as access to an earlier part of Ash and Pikachu's television history.
This is a distribution agreement, not a sale of Pokémon
Disney Kids & Family acquired the new series through a global distribution deal. The Pokémon Company International remains the producer, while Aardman is the animation studio bringing the project to the screen. Disney's announcement does not say that ownership of Pokémon, the video games or future film rights changed hands.
That distinction matters because a streaming home can look broader than the underlying contract. Disney can distribute the programs covered by the agreement; the announcement does not give it control over Game Freak's releases, Nintendo platforms or every Pokémon series already licensed elsewhere.
The first classic series is already rolling out unevenly
Pokémon the Series: The Beginning, which follows Ash and Pikachu at the start of their journey, began airing on Disney XD in August. Disney says it is now streaming on Disney+ in the United States and select international markets. The company did not identify Israel in the announcement, so local availability should be checked in the live catalog rather than assumed from the word global.
The two titles also serve different audiences. The Beginning is a catalog entry built around the familiar Ash-and-Pikachu starting point, while the Aardman project is a new production centered on Pokémon themselves. The deal therefore combines nostalgia with a future exclusive instead of relying on one kind of release.
The new Aardman series has the broader 2027 promise, but no exact premiere date or episode count. It follows Sirfetch'd and Pichu through the Galar region as they attempt to protect other Pokémon, with missions that repeatedly go off course.
Aardman is building Galar from the Pokémon's point of view
The Pokémon Company International produced the series, with Tom Parkinson directing and Nat McKay leading IP development at Aardman. The announcement emphasizes handcrafted environments, comedy and stories told from the Pokémon's perspective rather than another Ash-led continuation.
For Disney+, the immediate gain is a family franchise with both nostalgic and new entry points. For viewers, the practical answer is narrower: The Beginning is available only where the current catalog lists it, while Sirfetch'd and Pichu have a confirmed platform and year but not yet a day to mark on the calendar.
