Seinfeld won't make its Netflix debut for a few months after departing from Hulu next week

Vulture

Two years after signing a deal for a reported more than half a billion dollars to gain the rights to Seinfeld, Netflix isn't in any rush to add it to its platform after the iconic sitcom leaves Hulu on June 23. "Netflix isn’t talking just yet, so it’s hard to nail down the precise rationale for the delay," says Josef Adalian. "In theory, it’s possible the streamer’s deal with distributor Sony Pictures Television, announced in September 2019, doesn’t allow it to take possession of the series for a bit. What seems more likely, however, is that execs have purposely decided to put a bit of space between Seinfeld’s swan song on Hulu and its Netflix debut. If so, there are definite upsides to a pause. For one, waiting awhile gives Netflix time to build an effective marketing campaign around the arrival of Seinfeld as a global streaming exclusive. When The Office left Netflix at the end of December, it immediately moved over to Peacock, which was in desperate need of a big, splashy title to drive sign-ups (or to at least get folks to check it out). But that also meant many of the stories about the show heading to Peacock had to share headline and story space with disgruntled — or at least annoyed — fans of The Office peeved they needed to pay for another streamer to see their show. That narrative was never going to play out with Seinfeld, since the number of Hulu subscribers who don’t also have Netflix is much smaller than Netflix subscribers who don’t get Peacock. Still, waiting ensures the story of Seinfeld streaming on Netflix is about only that." Perhaps, Adalian adds, Netflix thinks it can have a bigger splash with Seinfeld in the fall. Or that it might be paired with a new Jerry Seinfeld special. "To be clear, I have no idea what exactly went into Netflix’s decision to delay (though I’ve been sniffing around to find out)," says Adalian. "But whatever the reason, because of its size and strength, the streamer clearly can afford to wait until it is most beneficial to its programming needs."