Netflix may have acquired the exclusive streaming rights for NBC's popular crime show "The Blacklist," but those rights didn't come cheap.
Deadline reports that Netflix bought the show at $2 million an episode, and the first season of "The Blacklist" could appear on the streaming service as soon as next weekend. The deal is believed to be the biggest payment ever dealt out by Netflix for an off-network series, surpassing the previous record holder of "The Walking Dead." Netflix is believed to have paid $1.35 million per episode for AMC's zombie drama.
James Spader stars in the show as a fugitive who partners with the FBI in order to bring down criminals and terrorists.
So why would Netflix want to drop so much cash on the show? "The Blacklist" is proving to be a ratings giant for NBC, which just recently announced a season two renewal for 22 episodes. The show airs after "The Voice" on Mondays, and was the breakout new series of last season, pulling in 15.4 million total viewers and averaging a strong 4.4 rating among adults 18-49. Those numbers put it slightly behind ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" medical drama among 18-49 age group and makes "The Blacklist" network TV's third-most-watched drama after "NCIS" and "NCIS:LA" on CBS.
According to Deadline, "The Blacklist" has been a rare breed during the past five years as networks have shifted towards more serialized shows. What makes "The Blacklist" extra attractive for steaming services is that it features a serialized main storyline. The show also set DVR records, making it a great fit for services like Netflix where users watch shows on their own schedule.
Sony Pictures TV owns "The Blacklist" and is still looking to sell syndication rights for the show. With cop crime shows like "Hawaii Five-O" and "NCIS:LA" fetching more than $2 million for their syndication rights, "The Blacklist" should have no problem selling for even more. Coupled together with the Netflix deal and Sony TV couldn't ask for a better scenario.
It makes sense that Sony TV would be the one to strike such a rich deal. Sony TV was an early adopter of Netflix, with one of its early deals being the streaming rights for AMC's "Breaking Bad," which became a mega-hit for Netflix. The "Breaking Bad" prequel "Better Call Saul" will also stream on Netflix, and Sony TV is also one of the first major studios to produce an original series for Netflix with "KZK."
