HBO is renting out one of its most valuable series to Netflix.
Every season of “Sex and the City,” the HBO comedy that aired from 1998 to 2004, will begin streaming on Netflix for the first time in early April, according to three people familiar with the deal.
HBO had a longstanding policy of not licensing its shows to Netflix until last year, when it sent over titles including “Six Feet Under,” “Insecure,” “Band of Brothers,” “The Pacific” and “Ballers.” Several of these older series quickly leaped into Top 10 most-watched streaming lists after they began appearing on Netflix.
Now “Sex and the City,” which had been licensed to cable networks, will be offered on Netflix as well. It was not clear how much Netflix will pay to license the series, one of the most illustrious titles in HBO’s library.
Unlike the other series HBO has licensed to Netflix, “Sex and the City” is part of an ongoing franchise for the company. The “Sex and the City” spinoff series, “And Just Like That,” streams on HBO’s streaming service and is preparing production for a third season. Executives said last year that “And Just Like That” ranked as one of the most watched original shows on its Max streaming service. The spinoff will remain available only on Max, two of the people said.
For Netflix, the development is further evidence that the streaming service is benefiting from the tight financial situation that many of its rivals are confronting. HBO’s parent company, the debt-ridden Warner Bros. Discovery, will get an infusion of cash from the deal, while Netflix accumulates more beloved TV series and movies, which keeps people subscribing.
“I am thrilled that the studios are more open to licensing again, and I am thrilled to tell them we are open for business,” Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co-chief executive, said in a quarterly earnings call on Tuesday.
