Netflix Acquires ‘The Blacklist’ For $2 Million An Episode
EXCLUSIVE: In what is believed to be the biggest subscription video-on-demand deal for a TV series, I’ve learned that Netflix has acquired the rights to hit NBC drama The Blacklist from Sony Pictures TV
in a deal that will net $2 million per episode. I hear Season 1 of the
series starring James Spader will debut on the streaming service next
weekend. As for future seasons, Netflix usually makes them available
shortly after the season finales.
Sony TV first tested the off-network market waters for The Blacklist in March. While other streaming services, like Amazon and Hulu, do joint syndication deals with cable networks, Netflix, which largely pioneered the series SVOD business, insists on getting first dibs. Twentieth Television just recently sold New Girl to TBS and MTV, more than an year after prior seasons of the Fox series landed at Netflix in a rich deal, said to be worth $900,000 an episode. Like was the case with New Girl, I hear Sony TV has the right to also sell The Blacklist in cable and broadcast syndication, with Netflix getting an exclusive first window. The $2 million per-episode fee is said to be the biggest for an off-network series paid by Netflix (or any others streaming company), eclipsing previous record holder, AMC’s The Walking Dead, whose sale price to Netflix is believed to be $1.35 million per episode.
It is fitting that Sony TV is charting new territory in the broadcast space with the rich Blacklist deal. The studio was an early Netflix adopter, making one of the early series deals with the streaming service for its AMC drama Breaking Bad, which became one of the first Netflix mega hits and helped usher in the era of binge viewing.The Breaking Bad prequel comedy Better Call Saul also will stream on Netflix, and Sony TV also became one of the first major studios to produce an original series for the streaming service with KZK.
The Blacklist, in which NBC has minority ownership, is a
successful, syndicatable broadcast procedural drama, which has been a
rare breed during the past five years as the networks have gravitated
toward more serialized fare. But it also features a serialized main
storyline, making it attractive for streaming services like Netflix. (Blacklist also set a string of DVR records, and time shifted viewing is at the core of online streaming.)
The Blacklist is NBC’s flagship scripted series, which airs behind The Voice on Mondays and is poised to become the network’s new Thursday 9 PM anchor in midseason. It was the breakout new series of last season, averaging a 4.4 rating in adults 18-49 and 15.4 million total viewers in Live+7, only a fraction behind ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy in the broadcast drama rankings among 18-49 and network TV’s third-most-watched drama behind CBS’ NCIS and NCIS: LA. Both Hawaii Five-0 and NCIS: LA fetched cable syndication license fees just north of $2 million. The Blacklist accomplished that with the Netflix deal. With cable and broadcast syndication pacts in the offing, it is expected to eclipse the $3 million per-episode total netted by CBS’ Elementary from SVOD (Hulu Plus), cable (WGN America) and broadcast syndication.
Sony TV first tested the off-network market waters for The Blacklist in March. While other streaming services, like Amazon and Hulu, do joint syndication deals with cable networks, Netflix, which largely pioneered the series SVOD business, insists on getting first dibs. Twentieth Television just recently sold New Girl to TBS and MTV, more than an year after prior seasons of the Fox series landed at Netflix in a rich deal, said to be worth $900,000 an episode. Like was the case with New Girl, I hear Sony TV has the right to also sell The Blacklist in cable and broadcast syndication, with Netflix getting an exclusive first window. The $2 million per-episode fee is said to be the biggest for an off-network series paid by Netflix (or any others streaming company), eclipsing previous record holder, AMC’s The Walking Dead, whose sale price to Netflix is believed to be $1.35 million per episode.
It is fitting that Sony TV is charting new territory in the broadcast space with the rich Blacklist deal. The studio was an early Netflix adopter, making one of the early series deals with the streaming service for its AMC drama Breaking Bad, which became one of the first Netflix mega hits and helped usher in the era of binge viewing.The Breaking Bad prequel comedy Better Call Saul also will stream on Netflix, and Sony TV also became one of the first major studios to produce an original series for the streaming service with KZK.
Recent Comments
18 People Commenting
Andrew Zar (@AndrewZar)
2 weeks
I'd guess it means Hulu won't get it at all... but would be better if the article...
Mark
2 weeks
I'm sure she is a wonderful human being,but she isn't good, to the point where it is...
Mark
2 weeks
Spader is amazing- but the lead actress-pfff...in best case mediocre...
The Blacklist is NBC’s flagship scripted series, which airs behind The Voice on Mondays and is poised to become the network’s new Thursday 9 PM anchor in midseason. It was the breakout new series of last season, averaging a 4.4 rating in adults 18-49 and 15.4 million total viewers in Live+7, only a fraction behind ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy in the broadcast drama rankings among 18-49 and network TV’s third-most-watched drama behind CBS’ NCIS and NCIS: LA. Both Hawaii Five-0 and NCIS: LA fetched cable syndication license fees just north of $2 million. The Blacklist accomplished that with the Netflix deal. With cable and broadcast syndication pacts in the offing, it is expected to eclipse the $3 million per-episode total netted by CBS’ Elementary from SVOD (Hulu Plus), cable (WGN America) and broadcast syndication.
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end quote from:
http://deadline.com/2014/08/the-blacklist-netflix-deal-2-million-825836/
I watched a few episodes of "The Blacklist" because I liked James Spader in the series he did as a lawyer opposite "William Shatner". However, even though I liked "The Blacklist" I found it kind of grim like I found "Breaking Bad" which I made myself not watch anymore after about 6 episodes too.
However, today one of my wife's friends was saying how this was the best made show in television and how many of these episodes are based upon actual real life events. This made my wife want to watch it now so this might be happening at our house so I have to decide whether it is worth it to watch with my wife or not. time will tell.
