What’s the deal with streaming TV? I mean, we’re not dipping our toes in it. There’s no fish swimming around. Why streaming? See, I think they should have called streaming, ‘sucking’ TV. That’s what we do, right? We pick the show, we hit play, we start sucking down episode after episode and boom, it’s 6am Monday morning and now you’ve got to find out what happens to Elizabeth II in The Crown. *slap bass intro*
All of which is a long-winded way to say that it’s sounding like classic sitcom Seinfeld may be coming to Netflix in 2021. The report arrives via Deadline, who claim that with Friends and The Big Bang Theory (in international markets) due to leave the platform in the near future, the network will be hungry to snap up something to replace it.
It’s in their best interests to do so as soon as possible, too, because both of these sitcoms have exceeded viewing expectations and rival networks have already forked out for the rights to The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men and Friends.
Seinfeld is currently streaming on Hulu, but that deal expires in 2021. With the deadline approaching in around 18 months, current rights holders Sony have been pitching the show to several streaming services. HBO Max is in the mix, apparently, but Deadline considers Netflix to be a slightly more likely candidate due to already having a $100 million deal with Jerry Seinfeld for his two stand-up specials and Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee.
Whatever the case, Sony is eager to milk this deal for all it’s worth, with the intention of getting some big money on its balance sheet and large paydays for the show’s profit participants. Based on that, I’d imagine we’ll be hearing confirmation on where Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer are going to pop up next fairly soon. Let’s hope they find somewhere quickly, because if Seinfeld goes off every streaming service, I don’t want to have to become a pirate to watch it.
