Hulu has made a major deal to stream reruns of the hit 1990s NBC sitcom “Seinfeld.”
A presentation to advertisers about the
agreement is set for Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but the show’s value has been estimated at $700,000 per episode, the Wall Street Journal said. Amazon.com Inc., Yahoo, and Netflix also had expressed interest in the show. Netflix bought rights to stream the hit show “Friends.”
Sony Pictures Television has distribution rights for "Seinfeld," and cable channel TBS will continue to air reruns of the show. Hulu is co-owned by Walt Disney Co., 21st Century Fox Inc., and Comcast Corp.
“Seinfeld” ended its nine-season, 180-episode run in May 1998, a decade before Hulu’s founding.
Variety reported the Hulu deal’s value at around $875,000 an episode, or $160 million, which will go to Sony TV, Time Warner’s Castle Rock, and profit participants including Jerry Seinfeld and co-creator Larry David.
The sitcom will be
available to stream on Hulu starting in June, Fortune reported.
“Whether you are an existing fan who just wants to relive your favorite moments over and over again, or are a new viewer who wants to experience Seinfeld from the very beginning, Hulu will now be your destination to stream what has been dubbed as one of the greatest shows of all time,” Hulu’s head of content, Craig Erwich, said, according to Fortune.
Hulu also announced plans for original content, including a miniseries based on a Stephen King novel and a comedy series produced by Amy Poehler.
Twitter users had mixed reactions to the deal.
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