Carrie Bradshaw and the rest of the “Sex and the City” coterie are heading to a binge-watching date on Netflix.
Netflix has inked a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to license all six seasons of the popular HBO dramedy, comprising all 94 episodes, Variety confirmed. “Sex and the City” will land on Netflix early April 2024. The deal is not worldwide: The series will be available in the U.S. and several other European markets, a source familiar with the pact said. In addition, the deal does not include the “SATC” films, nor does it include the recent spin-off “And Just Like That,” which is currently streaming only on WBD’s Max.
In the series, which originally aired on HBO from 1998-2004, Sarah Jessica Parker stars as Bradshaw, a New York writer who “finds inspiration for her column from the genuine, emotional and often humorous exploits of her friends and lovers.” Created by Darren Star, “Sex and the City” co-stars Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon and Kim Cattrall.
The deal comes after Warner Bros. Discovery last year licensed a handful of other older HBO originals to Netflix — a once-unthinkable proposition for the premium cable TV brand. HBO titles streaming on Netflix include Issa Rae’s “Insecure,” “Band of Brothers,” “The Pacific,” “Six Feet Under” and “Ballers.” “True Blood,” which also currently streams on Hulu, is available to Netflix subscribers outside the U.S. All of the shows remain available to stream on Max (formerly HBO Max) as well.
On Netflix’s Q4 2023 earnings call Tuesday, co-CEO Ted Sarandos, asked about the appetite of other networks and studios to license their content to Netflix, affirmed that the company is very much in the game and is sometimes “the best buyer for it.”
“I am thrilled that the studios are more open to licensing again, and I am thrilled to tell them we are open for business,” Sarandos said.
“We’ve got a rich history of helping break some of TV’s biggest hits, like ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘Walking Dead’ or, even more recently, with ‘Schitt’s Creek,’” Sarandos told analysts. “Because of our recommendation, our reach, we can resurrect a show like ‘Suits’ and turn it into a big pop-culture moment but also generate billions of hours of joy for our members.”
Sarandos continued, “I think you have to remember, the studios have always been in the business of selling their content to others, including direct competitors, for years. I believe, because, again, of our distribution heft and our recommendation system, that sometimes, we can uniquely add more value to the studio’s IP than they can. Not all the time, but sometimes, it does, and we’re the best buyer for it.”
