Average Seinfeld episode valued at $1m by Hulu in Sony Pictures deal
Video streaming site Hulu is believed to have paid $180m for the rights to classic 90s sitcom Seinfeld.
The site, which is expected to announce the acquisition at a presentation later today, acquired the rights to all 180 episodes from Sony Pictures Television, valuing each one at $1m on average, according to Variety.
Other estimates place the deal closer to $700,000 per episode. Either way, what's certain is that the acquisition is one of the biggest in the company's history.
Hulu, which is co-owned by Disney, 21st Century Fox and Comcast, has met a hefty price tag set by distribution rights holder Sony that scared off other interested parties such as Netflix.
Netflix is believed to have dropped its pursuit of the show after securing Friends – another iconic sitcom from the same era – for around $500,000 an episode.
The $180m windfall for the sitcom will be shared between Sony and Warner Bros, which owns the show's producer Castle Rock Entertainment.
Seinfeld was a phenomenon when it was originally aired on NBC in the US, with 76.26m viewers tuning in for the series finale in 1998. Yet its popularity has endured – the show, written by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, has made over $3bn in repeat fees since it ended.