“The Office” will leave at the end of 2020 to
join NBCUniversal’s new streaming service, and
“Friends” will leave at the beginning of 2020 to
join the upcoming HBO Max service.
It’s a battle not likely to wane as the streaming
TV space grows more crowded. Netflix has
created significant momentum with its original
shows, but new competitors are constantly
popping up, including streaming arrivals from
Apple and Disney.
Still, Netflix has a head start in the online space,
with its deep library of past and new shows.
It struck the five-year deal with Sony Pictures
Television for the global streaming rights to
“Seinfeld,” the Emmy-winning television comedy
which aired its final episode in 1998. Terms were
not released.
The Los Angeles Times reported Netflix paid well
above the speculated $500 million NBCUniversal
paid to retake “The Office,” and the reported
$130 million Hulu parent Walt Disney Co. paid
for “Seinfeld.” Both of those deals are for U.S.
streaming only — Netflix has bought the global
rights to show “Seinfeld.”
“Seinfeld is the television comedy that all
television comedy is measured against,” Netflix
Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said in
a statement.
Netflix noted it is still focused on producing
its own shows — but it can’t ignore the
demand for rewatching old hits. The company
spent $12 billion on original and non-original
programming last year.
Jerry Seinfeld’s show “Comedians in Cars Getting
Coffee” and his standup special “Jerry Before
Seinfeld” are already distributed by Netflix.