Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

HBO Max nabs exclusive rights to The Big Bang Theory in multibillion-dollar deal

Rick Marshall
By

Sheldon, Leonard, and Penny are joining Ross, Rachel, Monica, and Chandler on WarnerMedia’s upcoming streaming service, HBO Max.

The direct-to-consumer video service has added The Big Bang Theory to its list of exclusive shows available to subscribers in what is reportedly a multi-billion dollar deal that will make HBO Max the streaming home of the Emmy-winning series for five years following the launch of the service in 2020. It joins the similarly high-profile series Friends, which HBO Max purchased the exclusive streaming rights to in a $425 million deal earlier this year.

Related Videos

The recent deals offer a clear sign that HBO Max will offer more than just the prestige programming the premium cable network was known for, and is actively competing for top series that have been popular in the streaming video environment. Friends was reportedly one of the most-watched series on Netflix.

The Big Bang Theory premiered on CBS in September 2007 and ran for 12 seasons, ending its 12-season run in May 2019. Over the course of the show’s 279 episodes, the series grew from chronicling the lives of two awkward physicists at CalTech — played by Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki — and their neighbor, a struggling actress played by Kaley Cuoco, to a broader sitcom following their friends, family members, and careers. The aforementioned regular cast members were joined by a group of socially awkward friends and love interests, and the series featured a variety of celebrity — and famous scientist — cameos over the course of its run.

A spinoff series, Young Sheldon, explored the early years of Parsons’ character.

Given that the series aired on CBS, it’s worth noting that the show won’t be streaming on CBS All Access, the network’s own, subscription-based streaming service.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Where to watch Four Christmases
Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn stand outside a door in a scene from Four Christmases.

In the mid-2000s, Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn became staples of the romantic comedy genre. Between Sweet Home Alabama, Just Like Heaven, The Break-Up, and Couples Retreat, the duo provided many hits that are still beloved today. In 2008, Witherspoon and Vaughn teamed up for a Christmas movie, Four Christmases.

Kate Kinkaid (Witherspoon) and Brad McVie (Vaughn) do not like spending time with their families around the holidays, but after their vacation falls through, they are forced to spend Christmas with their dysfunctional families. However, Kate and Brad both have divorced parents, meaning they have to visit each parent separately, which comes out to four Christmases.
Where is it streaming?

Read more
Where to watch Fred Claus
Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti stand next to each other in a scene from Fred Claus.

Did you know that Santa had a brother named Fred? Fred Claus, the 2007 Christmas comedy starring Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti tells his story. Fred Claus (Vaughn) is the older brother of Santa (Giamatti), also known as Nick, and the black sheep of the family. Unlike his gracious younger brother, Fred is a troublemaking criminal who works as a repossession agent in Chicago.

After Fred is arrested, Nick bails his brother out of jail. To pay off his debts, Fred works for Nick at the North Pole during the Christmas season. At first, Fred agitates his brother with his mischievous antics. However, the brothers eventually work together with the elves to prepare gifts for Christmas and take down the menacing efficiency expert, Clyde Northcutt (Kevin Spacey).
Where is it streaming?

Read more
The best TV crime dramas to stream now on HBO Max
True Detective promo art featuring Detectives Harty and Cohle.

The TV streaming market is as packed and competitive for subscribers' dollars as it's ever been, and while HBO Max's future is shaky given the drama surrounding the recent Warner Bros. Discovery merger, the platform is still home to some of the highest-quality serialized content.

The overall HBO brand has built a stellar reputation in the TV industry for top-tier original programming, but it's particularly well known (aside from Game of Thrones) for its various crime dramas. It makes sense considering how seamlessly that genre meshes with limited or long-form storytelling. And for that, HBO Max has one of the most studded collections of shows ranging from exciting Max originals like this year's Tokyo Vice to the premium cabler's True Detective.
Tokyo Vice

Read more