No Office? No problem. Seinfeld will stream on Netflix starting in 2021

By Chris Gates September 16, 2019

Netflix has announced that every single episode of the hit NBC sitcom Seinfeld is headed to the streamer in 2021, the same year that another iconic NBC show, The Office, leaves the service.

Netflix made the announcement via its Twitter feed. In the tweet, Netflix listed the show’s iconic cast of characters before promising that “all 180 episodes of the Emmy-Award winning Seinfeld are coming to Netflix — worldwide!” When it arrives on Netflix, Seinfeld will be available in 4K resolution for the first time in the series’ history.

Jerry &
Elaine &
George &
Kramer &
Netflix

All 180 episodes of the Emmy-Award winning Seinfeld are coming to Netflix — worldwide! — starting in 2021 pic.twitter.com/tLvcCKH4vl

— Netflix US (@netflix) September 16, 2019

The addition of Seinfeld fills a major hole for Netflix, which is losing some of its most popular comedy programs as more and more media companies pull content from Netflix in order to bolster their own proprietary streaming services. Friends, which Netflix paid $100 million to stream for a single year, will be exclusive to HBO Max starting in 2020. The Office, the most-watched show on Netflix, will only be available on NBC’s own streaming service after NBC’s deal with Netflix expires.

In light of those departures, Seinfeld is a big get for Netflix. The popular “show about nothing” ran on NBC for nine seasons, scored a number of Emmy nominations, and is widely considered one of the best TV shows ever made.

Beginning in 2021, Netflix will be the only place to stream Seinfeld online. Currently, Seinfeld can be found on Hulu, which recently launched a special “Seinfeld shuffle” feature in honor of the show’s 30th anniversary, but that deal expires in 2021, according to The Los Angeles Times. Netflix’s deal with Sony Pictures Television, which distributes Seinfeld, lasts for five years.

It’s not clear how much Netflix paid for the Seinfeld rights, although the company previously paid $500 million to stream The Office, while Friends cost WarnerMedia $425 million. Analysts expect that Netflix paid a similar amount to stream Seinfeld.

Seinfeld co-creator Jerry Seinfeld and Netflix already have a close relationship. Previously, Netflix paid Seinfeld $100 million to produce content for the streaming service. Projects released as part of the deal include the Jerry Before Seinfeld stand-up special, which features the comedian revisiting some of his old material while reflecting on his decades-long career, and recent episodes of Seinfeld’s web series-turned-talk show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.

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