Netflix is dishing out some big bucks for NBC's "The Blacklist".
Deadline reported that Netflix has acquired exclusive streaming rights to the show for a price of $2 million an episode - a whopping total of $44 million. The payout is reportedly the largest amount paid by a subscription-based video-on-demand company for a season of a television show.
Starting Sept. 7, the first season of the drama series, starring three-time Emmy-winning actor James Spader, will be available on the online streamer. "The Blacklist" follows a well-connected criminal who partners with an FBI agent, played by Megan Boone, to help track down the world's most dangerous criminals.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show premiered to 12.5 million viewers last year and has averaged around 10.5 million throughout its first season. It became NBC's breakout hit and the No. 1 drama in the 18-49 demos in broadcast television last season.
"The Blacklist" will return to NBC with its sophomore season Monday, Sept. 22 at 10 p.m., following "The Voice" premiere. NBC announced that the network will air an episode of the show after the 2015 Super Bowl game.
Netflix has more than 50 million paid subscribers and is known for negotiating lucrative deals with Sony TV over the years. The giant streaming service previously paid $1.35 million per episode for AMC's "The Walking Dead" and paid $900,000 an episode for FOX's "New Girl".
The online service reportedly paid more than $1 million per episode for CBS' 2015 summer series "Zoo," according to THR.
Earlier this week, Netflix revealed that its upcoming "Marco Polo" 10-episode series would be premiere Dec. 12. The show was originally picked up by Starz before it was dropped. It stars Lorenzo Richelmy, Benedict Wong, Zhu Zhu, and Tom Wu.
What do you think of Netflix's recent business move?
