Netflix expands 'The Walking Dead' deal, but loses exclusive hold on zombie franchise

Under a caller licensing agreement, Netflix volition beryllium streaming “The Walking Dead” franchise globally.

Netflix and AMC Global Media, the web that primitively aired the zombie series, inked a caller five-year co-streaming deal, according to a quality merchandise connected Thursday. Both companies volition beryllium capable to amusement the archetypal “The Walking Dead” bid and its six spinoffs connected Netflix and AMC+. The woody is valued astatine $500 million, AMC Global Media said successful its second-quarter net report.

“This woody creates a planetary destination for this beingness — each shows, each episodes — making the franchise much accessible than ever to fans astir the world. In addition, the co-exclusive statement allows america to bring the archetypal bid to AMC+ for the archetypal clip aboriginal adjacent year,” Kristin Dolan, the company’s main executive, said successful a statement. “This statement is simply a fantastic effect for our companies, for the fans and for this timeless IP.”

AMC Global Media is renting the franchise, not selling it. The five-year licenses tally separately for each show, with commencement dates that alteration based connected territory and the expiration of existing streaming deals. The rights to “The Walking Dead” revert to AMC Global Media erstwhile the word ends.

The institution besides keeps planetary rights to tally the “Walking Dead” beingness connected its ain services throughout. Dolan told investors the statement would proviso what she called “a meaningful root of currency travel for years to come,” framing it arsenic grounds that the company’s room inactive commands premium prices adjacent arsenic its cablegram concern shrinks.

The statement volition widen the franchise’s scope connected Netflix successful places similar the U.K., Italy, Australia and New Zealand — making episodes disposable opening successful 2027.

“The Walking Dead” premiered connected the AMC web successful 2010, introducing audiences to the high-stakes satellite of a zombie apocalypse. In 2011, the bid began streaming exclusively connected Netflix successful the U.S. The amusement aired for 11 seasons and became 1 of AMC’s astir influential shows. Other fashionable programs from the web see “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad.”

“Audiences person discovered and loved ‘The Walking Dead’ connected Netflix for astir 15 years and the amusement continues to pull caller fans,” Lori Conkling, Netflix’s vice president of licensing, said successful a statement.

The woody landed alongside a unsmooth quarter. AMC Global Media reported second-quarter gross of $547 million, down 9% from a twelvemonth earlier, and a nonaccomplishment of 51 cents a share, compared with 91 cents successful nett successful the aforesaid play past year. Operating income fell to astir $16 cardinal from $64 million.

Netflix’s second-quarter net showed mixed results. The company‘s gross roseate 13% to $12.6 billion; its nett income was $3.4 billion, up 9% from a twelvemonth ago; and its advertizing concern is connected way to scope $3 cardinal successful gross this year, treble the magnitude successful 2025.

The aforesaid filing offered immoderate details connected Netflix’s acquisition of InterPositive, the AI post-production startup founded by Ben Affleck, for $587 cardinal successful currency successful March.

But Netflix’s banal terms has continued to waver owed successful portion to capitalist concerns astir the streamer’s aboriginal growth.