Netflix gains rights to Gotham as the streaming service strikes up a deal with Warner Bros.
Given that Gotham has yet to premiere, it is believed that the deal is the first of its kind in the industry. Under the deal, Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Distribution gives Netflix exclusive subscription video on demand rights for the television show in U.S. territories where the streaming service is available as well as in other parts of the world. All seasons of the TV series will be made available on Netflix after the initial broadcast starting September 2015.
Netflix has not commented on how much the deal was worth but the streaming service has been aggressively snapping up shows, the most recent of which is NBC's The Blacklist. For that deal, Netflix agreed to cough up $2 million for every episode. Considering this price range, reports speculate that the Gotham deal is pegged at $1.5 million per episode. FOX ordered 16 episodes of the TV series.
Ted Sarandos, chief content officer for Netflix, said that the streaming service is thrilled to be offering Gotham, "the most anticipated new series of the fall season," to its members all over the world. "The Batman origin story is sure to have massive global appeal so it is fitting that, along with Warner Television, we have created a new model for distributing a show that international and domestic audiences will love," he adds.
"In this era of new business models and expanding windows, this is an unprecedented deal for our company and our industry," said Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Distribution President Jeffrey R. Schlesinger.
This is because Warner Bros. usually licenses programs country by country. The company considers Netflix to be the perfect home for Gotham after the TV show's initial broadcast, providing subscribers with the chance to catch-up to the series before a new season begins, whether they're watching it for the first time or have already been fans right from the start.
FOX has high hopes for Gotham. Towards the end of August, the network showed a special four-part preview of the TV show online exploring the mythology of series characters. A month earlier, it also made sure that Gotham had a big presence at the Comic-Con, putting out a Gotham PD Uber service, setting up a GothamChronicles.com town website, creating a harbor-front zip line, and littering the streets with branded cabs and trolleys. A poster and trailer contest was also launched to promote the show by tapping into fan interest.
Gotham premieres Sept. 22.
