'Seinfeld' Leaving Hulu; When Will Netflix Start Streaming Iconic Series?

"Seinfeld" fans will have a new streaming service to call home. It was announced on Monday that Netflix officially acquired the streaming rights to the NBC sitcom. Upon striking a deal with distributor Sony Pictures Television, every episode of the so-called "show about nothing" will be available to stream beginning in 2021, which is when the series' domestic agreement with Hulu expires.

According to Deadline, this deal marks the first time that the show has been accessible through Netflix and the only instance when all 180 episodes have been on one global service. Additionally, once the television show makes its premiere on the streaming platform, each episode will also be available in 4K.

When speaking about the new deal, Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer for Netflix, said, "'Seinfeld' is the television comedy that all television comedy is measured against. It is as fresh and funny as ever and will be available to the world in 4K for the first time."

READ: Jerry Seinfeld On 'Seinfeld' 30-Year Anniversary: Regrets, Surprises & Rebooting The Show

The way in which the half-hour comedy made its way to Netflix was a somewhat-rocky road, as Sony TV reportedly pitched it to "multiple streamers, including HBO Max and Netflix." As for the asking price they were initially seeking, they reportedly were "targeting a deal of a size similar to that for fellow 1990s Must See TV tentpole 'Friends' in the red-hot marketplace."

According to the New York Times, Netflix paid $100 million last year to stream "Friends" through the end of 2019.

This is not the first time that Jerry Seinfeld has had a project on the streaming service, as his series "Comedian in Cars Getting Coffee" and previous stand-up specials have also found a home on Netflix in the past. However, per the Los Angeles Times, his previous partnerships were "not a determining factor in 'Seinfeld' going to the service," sources told the publication.