Hulu lands Seinfeld for $130m

Hulu has acquired the subscription VoD rights to all 180 episodes of classic NBC comedy Seinfeld, in a deal worth more than US$700,000 per episode.

Seinfeld ran for nine seasons on NBC

The US video streamer has signed an agreement with distributor Sony Pictures Television worth between US$130m and US$180m. The money will be split between Sony, the show’s cast and creators, and producer Castle Rock Entertainment, which is owned by Warner Bros.

The deal is expected to be announced at Hulu’s upfront presentation today, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Seinfeld ran for nine seasons on NBC from 1989 to 1998. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, with the latter starring as a fictionalised version of himself. Re-runs continue to be shown on cable channel TBS.

The Hulu purchase follows Netflix’s deal last year for the rights to Warner Bros TV’s Friends, also an NBC comedy.