'Star Wars: The Clone Wars' makes the Force a Netflix exclusive

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The sixth and final season of Lucasfilm's animated television series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" will be available exclusively on Netflix next month, the video streaming service and Walt Disney Co's ABC group said on Thursday. Thirteen new episodes of "The Clone Wars" will premiere on Netflix on March 7. The five earlier seasons, which previously aired on Time Warner Inc's Cartoon Network, also will be available on Netflix at that time, along with a feature film of the same name. This is the first time any "Star Wars" content has been featured on Netflix's streaming service, and episodes will include director's cuts that have never been seen on TV. "The Clone Wars" is an Emmy-winning series set in George Lucas' world of "Star Wars." Disney bought Lucas' company, Lucasfilm, for $4.05 billion in 2012. The final season, called "The Lost Missions," will see the Force combat a rift within itself and deal with the growing menace of Sith Lords and apprentices in the galaxy. The "Star Wars" franchise has grossed more than $4.4 billion at the worldwide box office since the first film was released in 1977. After the purchase of Lucasfilm, Disney announced three new "Star Wars" films, the first of which will arrive in theaters in December 2015. (Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)