'Seinfeld' creators laugh all the way to the bank with huge payday
“Seinfeld” proclaimed itself as a television show about nothing. It turns out that sometimes nothing at all is a pretty cool payday.
The creators of the acclaimed “Seinfeld” show, Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, are set to net upward of $100 million each for selling the rights of the sitcom they created to Netflix. All 180 episodes were purchased by the streaming giant last week, marking a major victory for Netflix in the ongoing streaming wars.
The Emmy Award-winning sitcom, which aired from 1989 to 1998, is currently in syndication. The Netflix deal begins in 2021 and gives the company exclusive rights to air the popular show, which still resonates with audiences two decades later.
It provides an anchor show for Netflix to attract subscribers as more competition enters the streaming business.
Netflix recently lost “The Office” and “Friends” to competitors, but in "Seinfeld," it landed a show with tremendous pull and a loyal fan base.
At the end of the day, the clear winners are the show’s creators. While the report said that the comedic duo of Seinfeld and David could earn from $100 million to $125 million from selling the rights to Netflix, another source told The Wrap that “the paydays were significantly higher.”