Jerry Seinfeld’s talk-comedy series on Crackle, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, is moving production to Netflix in 2017, as reported by Variety this afternoon.
The series is currently available on Sony’s ad-sponsored streaming media platform. The 9th season of the show will finish its run on Crackle before making the leap to Netflix, as reported by The LA Times.
Along with twenty-four new episodes ordered, fifty-nine of the show’s previous episodes will also nestle into the Netflix streaming-media nest, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Although Seinfeld’s contract with Crackle expired this year, Variety reports that his syndicated series Seinfeld will continue to stream exclusively on Hulu. The deal between Sony, Hulu, co-creator Larry David, and Jerry Seinfeld was made in 2015 and doesn’t expire for another four years. Sony allegedly sold the series to Hulu for whopping $160 million.
Industry insiders estimate current value of the contract between Netflix and Seinfeld to be worth approximately $100 million, who clearly outbid other networks eager to get ahold of the Emmy-nominated unscripted comedy talk-show, which has featured a vast and fascinating array of individuals, including comedians ranging from Steve Martin to Amy Schumer or even the former President himself, Barack Obama. The casual setting of show ensures for a more natural and improvised talk-show structure, allowing for a more intimate flow of conversation and less trite but more lighthearted dialogue.
Not only does Netflix obtain the production and development rights to Comedians in Cars, but the streaming-media platform has also picked up two new original stand-up specials from Seinfeld, the first of which will likely air in late 2017.
Netflix has aggressively been insulating itself with a variety of stand-up specials and outbidding networks like Comedy Central, HBO, and Showtime for hour-long specials with comedy superstars like Anziz Ansari, Amy Schumer, or Hannibal Buress.
While some phenomenal stand-up comedy is available on Netflix by prolific and incredibly talented comedians, stand-up can still be more of a niche market than sitcoms or talk-shows. Seinfeld is one the biggest household names in entertainment. His mass appeal could reach a broader audience to bring into Netflix’s revenue fold.
Seinfeld’s specials would be the first of his material made exclusively for Netflix, rather than simply re-aired. Along with plans for new material, Seinfeld is slated to help further develop Netflix’s expanding frontier into scripted and unscripted original comedy, as reported by The LA Times.
According to Ted Sarandos, chief content officer on Netflix, “Jerry is known the world over as both a great TV innovator and beloved comic voice…We are incredibly proud to welcome him to the Netflix comedy family.”