FILE PHOTO: A view shows the exterior of Hulu’s “Seinfeld: The Apartment”, a temporary exhibit on West 14th street in the Manhattan borough of New York City, June 24, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo
(Reuters) – Viacom Inc said on Saturday it has bought the exclusive cable rights to classic television sitcom “Seinfeld” from Sony Pictures Television, days after Netflix Inc landed the global streaming rights for the show.
“Beginning in October 2021, the full library of Seinfeld episodes will air amongst Viacom’s entertainment brands, including Comedy Central, Paramount Network and TV Land,” Viacom said in a statement.
“Seinfeld”, a show starring comedian Jerry Seinfeld playing a version of himself and often humorously described as a show about nothing, followed four self-absorbed friends in New York City. It was a hit on the NBC broadcast network in the 1990s.
Sony Corp’s Sony Pictures Television, which owns the distribution rights to “Seinfeld”, reached the deal with Viacom. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Netflix and other streaming giants are poised to nab streaming rights for popular TV shows as the battle for streaming viewers intensifies.
Reporting by Mekhla Raina in Bengaluru; Editing by Robert Birsel