NBCUniversal will remain the owner of the film and television rights to author Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne franchise, according to a statement from Universal Pictures president Peter Cramer obtained by Deadline’s Justin Kroll. The deal comes after earlier this year, when the studio’s rights to the long-running spy series lapsed, kicking off an extensive bidding war.

“Since its debut in 2002,” Cramer told Deadline, “the iconic Bourne franchise has reshaped the spy genre with groundbreaking films that set new standards for cinematic action. We’re energized to continue expanding the Bourne universe into the future with exciting new stories for global audiences.”

According to sources from Deadline, NBCUniversal was in contention with six other offers for rights to the series; one from another major studio, two from streaming services, and three from independent entrepreneurial ventures. While the exact dollar sign attached to the new agreement was undisclosed, insiders referred to it as a “very large deal” — which would make sense, considering that all five previously released Bourne films have each grossed over $200 million at the box office.

Also according to Deadline, along with the main film series, NBCUniversal will also obtain the rights to Treadstone, a 2019 spin-off series ordered by USA that explores the CIA’s mysterious Operation Treadstone program, which serves as the antagonist of The Bourne Identity. Whether the network will pursue a continuation of the series, which was cancelled after one season, is unknown.

As for the main series, a previous Deadline report stated that director Ed Berger (Conclave, All Quiet on the Western Front) would helm a sixth movie in the series, with lead actor Matt Damon (Interstellar, Good Will Hunting) possibly staging a grand return to the limelight. Nothing has been greenlit as of yet, but a treatment by Joe Barton (iBoy, The Ritual) has already been completed.

Jeffrey Weiner, the executor of Robert Ludlum’s estate, seemed optimistic about the series’ future in an interview with Deadline. “We are thrilled that the Bourne franchise will remain at Universal,” Weiner said. “We look forward to working with the Universal team to expand the Bourne franchise across Universal’s varied platforms.”