'The Blacklist' comes to Netflix in what is reportedly a record-making deal
The NBC show 'The Blacklist' is reportedly coming to Netflix at a cost of $2 million per episode. 'The Blacklist' stars James Spader and Megan Boone.
The NBC show 'The Blacklist' is reportedly coming to Netflix at a cost of $2 million per episode. 'The Blacklist' stars James Spader and Megan Boone.
The NBC hit drama 鈥淭he Blacklist鈥� is coming to Netflix.
According to Deadline, Netflix recently acquired NBC鈥檚 show 鈥淭he Blacklist鈥� for $2 million per episode, which is "believed to be the biggest聽subscription video-on-demand聽deal for a TV series," writes Deadline reporter Nellie Andreeva. The first season of 鈥淭he Blacklist,鈥� which debuted last fall, will come to Netflix on Sept. 7 and Netflix has exclusive streaming rights to the show, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Netflix would not confirm the amount it paid for the show, according to Variety.
As for traditional TV options, according to the deal, Sony Pictures TV can sell the syndication rights to the show to networks, according to Deadline.
鈥淭he Blacklist,鈥� which became one of last year鈥檚 freshman TV hits, follows Raymond Reddington, known as Red (James Spader), who used to be a member of the government before he became a notorious criminal. He surrenders himself at FBI headquarters and says he will aid them in tracking down those who are breaking the law. But he insists that he will only deal with Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone), an FBI Special Agent just starting out. The series also stars actors Diego Klattenhoff, Parminder Nagra, Alan Alda, and Mary-Louise Parker.
What does this mean for Netflix? Forbes writer Merrill Barr wrote that Netflix acquiring 鈥淭he Blacklist鈥� and creating a French original series, 鈥淢arseille,鈥� means the streaming service is 鈥渁 nearly unstoppable force.鈥�
Snagging 鈥淭he Blacklist,鈥� creating 鈥淢arseille,鈥� and renewing its original animated series 鈥淏ojack Horseman,鈥� 鈥渆specially in the rapid succession they鈥檝e occurred, show off not just the power Netflix wields, but its commitment to the one thing that鈥檒l keep it competitive: content diversity,鈥� Barr wrote.
And Sony Pictures TV benefits, too, says Kelly West of Cinema Blend.
鈥淭his appears to be a nice win for Sony on multiple levels, as it sounds like they're getting a substantial sum of money 鈥� do the math on $2 million multiplied by 22 episodes,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淎nd this should give people the chance to get caught up on the series with enough time to jump on board with the show when it premieres Season 2...聽If things work out that way, that might ensure that聽'Blacklist'聽will, at the very least, maintain its strong viewership going into the second season, if not improve on it."