Netflix shares a video announcement that all 180 episodes of the beloved '90s sitcom Seinfeld will begin streaming on the platform on October 1. Co-created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the series focused on a fictionalized version of the titular comedian and the lives of he and his three friends, Jason Alexander's George Costanza, Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Elaine Benes and Michael Richards' Cosmo Kramer. The series was also popular for the use of stand-up segments in early seasons, though would later become scarce as Seinfeld himself slowly stepped away from stand-up gigs.
Premiering in 1989, Seinfeld ran for nine seasons on NBC and is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential sitcoms of all time. The series scored rave reviews from critics throughout its run, garnering 10 Primetime Emmy Award wins and three Golden Globe wins, and was similarly a ratings hit for the network, becoming one of only three shows to finish their runs at the top of the ratings alongside I Love Lucy and The Andy Griffith Show. The group would later reunite for a faux Seinfeld reunion show on season 7 of David's Curb Your Enthusiasm, with supporting stars Wayne Knight, Estelle Harris and Steve Hytner also appearing in the season.
Nearly two years after acquiring the streaming rights for the series, Netflix has announced that Seinfeld will officially begin streaming on the platform on October 1. Netflix paired the announcement with a funny video calling the series "2021's Hottest New Show" before cheekily correcting itself to "Never Seen Before...On Netflix." Check out the funny video announcement below:
Netflix's acquisition of Seinfeld in 2019 was a big move for the streaming platform, with the rights to the series having previously been held by Hulu until their contract came to a close. At the time of the deal, HBO Max had paid $425 million to acquire the rights to Friends from Netflix, soon to be leaving the latter without a major, classic sitcom in their library until Netflix elected to take advantage of Hulu's expiring deal for Seinfeld. No exact figure has been revealed for the purchase in the years since the deal, but it has reported to be more than the $500 million the platform spent for the rights to The Office and it's easy to understand why.
Over 30 years since its premiere on NBC, Seinfeld has proven to be one of the longest-lasting sitcoms amongst viewers and modern creatives alike, with many new sitcoms continually turning to the show for reference. Though it's unclear as to why the series won't be making the original projected streaming debut date of September 1, the confirmation of its impending arrival should nonetheless come as exciting news for fans of the series. Now is the time to begin stocking up on Junior Mints ahead of Seinfeld hitting Netflix on October 1.
Source: Netflix