Seinfeld will soon be available on the streaming service that pays the most for it
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Another TV classic will soon be available at your fingertips. The Wall Street Journal reports that Sony Pictures Television is nearing a deal to license all 180 episodes of Seinfeld to one of several rival streaming services, including Hulu, Amazon, and Yahoo. Netflix also expressed early interest, but eventually withdrew from the bidding. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Sony is reportedly seeking "well north of half a million dollars" per episode, putting $90 million at the very low end of the deal. The deal will be non-exclusive, so Seinfeld will continue to air in syndication.
It's a steep price, but in recent years, beloved shows like Seinfeld have become major targets for streaming services looking to get an edge over their rivals. Last year, FXX locked down the rights to the back catalogue of The Simpsons, launching an independent streaming app called Simpsons World, and in January, Netflix began exclusively streaming every episode of Friends.
Article continues belowThe Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.
