Netflix Purchases Rights to FOX's 'Gotham'

After purchasing the rights to NBC's The Blacklist for a whopping $2 million per episode, Netflix has again made history with what is believed to be the first streaming video on-demand deal for a broadcast series made before the show has even premiered. Netflix has reached an agreement with Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Distribution for rights to the upcoming, hotly-anticipated FOX drama Gotham.

Through the agreement, Netflix will become the exclusive video on-demand home to Gotham, with each season being made available to viewers upon the completion of the broadcast run. That means that Season 1 would premiere on Netflix in September 2015, just ahead of a potential Season 2 premiere. No official figure has been released, but rumors suggest Netflix paid $1.75 million per episode for the series.

Further details from Deadline:

The unprecedented deal was put in motion shortly after the Gotham pilot had a great reception at the L.A. international screenings in May. I hear Netflix approached WBWTD about a pact that would cover multiple territories. That was a very tricky proposition as WBWTD has different agreements in each country, with the terms of the output deals, including holdback rights against SVOD releases, varying from territory to territory. After laying the groundwork country by country, the two sides have been able to clear the show in all Netflix markets around the world. The pact builds on Warner Bros.’ existing relationship with Netflix, which includes another precedent-setting pact that covers all CW series. The Gotham deals comes on the heels of Netflix nabbing Sony TV-produced hit NBC drama The Blacklist for $2 million an episode. Sony also made a deal similar to the Gotham one for its upcoming Breaking Bad prequel, Better Call Saul, which airs on cable on AMC. In it, Netflix gets first window in territories outside of the U.S.

Premiering on September 22 on Fox in the US, Gotham draws on the origin story of Batman, taking place in Gotham City as young Detective (and future Commissioner) James Gordon and the recently orphaned Bruce Wayne meet in the troubled days before the arrival of the Dark Knight. The series follows Gordon’s rise from rookie detective to Police Commissioner as he navigates the layers of corruption that secretly rule Gotham City. The cast includes Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, Jada Pinkett Smith and Sean Pertwee. “Gotham is the most anticipated new series of the fall season and we are thrilled to offer it to our members around the world,” said Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer at Netflix. “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.”

Right out the gate, Gotham is being positioned as FOX's biggest new success, which has me wondering if it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy, or a disappointment (a la Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which was expected to be a massive hit for ABC, but ended up performing only modestly, at best). Sometimes, the biggest hits are the ones no one expects, like Sleepy Hollow. Of course, that doesn't mean that an expected hit can't still deliver big. After all, that's why Netflix picked up The Blacklist in the first place. There's no reason Gotham shouldn't be able to follow suit.

Via: Deadline

Credit: FOX