Skip to main content

Netflix nabs Mad Men reruns

mad-men-don-draper-drowning

The war over the streaming rights to popular television shows and movies is only beginning, but Netflix has landed another powerful blow. The dominant streaming company has signed a deal with Lionsgate to become the only home for Mad Men reruns on any medium, Internet or TV. That means if you want to watch Mad Men, you can either buy the DVDs, watch it first run on AMC, or get a Netflix subscription. This is the first time a deal like this has been signed, reports the LA Times, and the first time Netflix has purchased the rights to a TV show that isn’t off the air.

The deal is costly for Netflix, which is said to be paying between $750,000 and $900,000 per episode. At 52 current episodes, that means the deal is costing the streaming company at least $39 million.

On July 27, 2011, Netflix Instant will get the first four seasons of Mad Men in their entirety. When the fifth season airs in mid-to-late 2012, Netflix will not get the new episodes until the season is complete. According to the new $30 million contract series creator Matthew Weiner recently signed with Lionsgate, there will be at least three more seasons of the show.

The move to Netflix may be smart for Mad Men. Serial dramas with long, complicated plots that span entire seasons (or the series) have become popular in the last decade, but reruns of the shows often fail to perform well. A service like Netflix allows users to delve into dramas like Mad Men at their own leisure, never missing an episode and always having a chance to rewind should they miss a distant glance between Jon Hamm and January Jones.

Now, if only Netflix could somehow form a relationship with HBO and buy the rights to The Wire. I’d really like to watch it again.

Editors' Recommendations

Jeffrey Van Camp
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…
Where to watch the series finale of Barry: live stream the show
Barry sits down on the dirt in Barry.

Everyone's favorite hitman-turned-comedian is ready for his final punchline. Barry, the acclaimed series starring former Saturday Night Live cast member Bill Hader, is set to come to an end very soon. After 4 seasons and 32 episodes, one of the best TV shows streaming now will join The Sopranos and The Wire as legendary series that will forever be remembered.

With so many quality shows on HBO, not to mention all the other streamers out there, it can be hard to keep track of what is on and when it's airing. Never fear, Barry fans, as Digital Trends will let you know when, where, and how you can stream episode 8 of Barry season 4 or, as it will now be remembered, Barry's series finale.
When does Barry's series finale air/stream?

Read more
Is there going to be a season 5 of Succession?
Two men and a woman talk on a runway in Succession.

After four seasons, Succession wrapped up its final season with a tremendous episode on Sunday night. The episode was full of twists, surprises, and one hilarious interaction between Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) and Greg (Nicholas Braun). In other words, it was a typical episode of Succession.

Yet, this episode served as the Succession series finale, with no more seasons planned. However, the success and overwhelming popularity of the show may have fans wondering if the show will walk back its decision and return for a fifth season. Will there be a season 5 of Succession?
What happened in the Succession season 4 finale?
Succession | Inside the Episode: Season 4, Episode 10 | Max

Read more
Netflix is now streaming one of 2023’s best thrillers. Here’s why you should watch it
missing best 2023 thriller reasons why you should watch the movie netflix 2

Only a few months after it debuted in theaters, Missing is now the most popular movie on Netflix. Anyone who has seen the movie, which focuses on a teenage girl who discovers that her mother has been kidnapped while on vacation and races to figure out what happened, understands why it's managed to climb so high on the streaming service's charts.

It's a mystery worth watching, and many Netflix viewers seem to have figured that out. Here are five reasons the movie has managed to become such a Netflix phenomenon, and why you should watch it right now.
It has a unique storytelling structure
MISSING - Official Trailer (HD)

Read more